The Epic of Dragon and Renji
by harvestmooneve
Summary: Looking over Straw Hat Wanted fliers, Dragon notices a girl with a familiar shade of orange colored hair. He then reminisces about the day he became familiar with Renji - Nami's father. Together, they freed slaves, assassinated corrupt leaders, and inspired hundreds to take part in a revolution by building a Revolutionary Army. PrequelFic to One Piece. OC
1. Chapter I

**A/N: These events certainly aren't my particular theories, but I'm putting them in my story.**

 **Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story do not belong to me. The sentiments expressed in this fanfiction do not necessarily reflect my real views.**

 **Image: That's Dragon because Renji is an OC. I don't own the image, and I don't know who does. I don't think he would have worn similar clothes to Sabo, so his outfit is irrelevant.**

* * *

 ** _The Epic of Renji - Nami's Father_**

Within the lair of the Revolutionary Army on Baltigo, Monkey D. Dragon looked over the newspaper and saw Luffy's second bounty poster. Taking down the CP-9 must have been an arduous task. He knew of his son's aspirations, and from Dragon's understanding of the Will of D, he was aware that Luffy would eventually become the next Pirate King. Smirking to himself, he decided to add the paper to his collection of Strawhat Luffy wanted posters.

Thumbing through the remaining papers, he glimpsed at a familiar shade of orange. Upon closer examination, he identified various features of the woman - nose, eyes. They all evoked his memory.

Renji had a similar hair color. "Nami," Dragon read. That was the name of his old friend, Renji's daughter. He may have kept an eye on Luffy over the years, but before now, he didn't think to look for his old friend's daughter. He always assumed she perished after the attack on Fahre. Someone must have saved her.

While he wanted to contact one of their mutual friends, Silk, her current ties with the Marines prevented him from calling her at leisure. They had to plan their meetings months ahead of time. She had to be the one to initiate their calls when she had duty away from the headquarters. They wouldn't be able to meet up again for another two weeks. He would probably have to hold her back from trying to meet her.

Drifting off, he thought of the adventures they all had together.

* * *

23 Years Before Water 7...

Dragon joined the Marines per his father's request. He didn't trust the World Government or their military dogs for that matter. However, he reluctantly joined to gain intelligence about the figureheads and workings of the military. Although he refused to climb the ranks, he somehow managed to learn quite a bit. As a recruit, he aimed to travel across the four blues gathering information on the various governments of the world.

He aimed to expose the atrocities committed by the government. Over the years, he had a few hunches, but he only had a first-hand experience the first time.

As they sailed towards the horizon, a tattooless, younger Dragon contemplated the rumors he heard of the upcoming island. Within East Blue, other islands knew Fahre as a place to buy spices and silks. Most countries had neutral relations with them, but they may be vulnerable to the World Government because of the materials they grow on their island. Their enchanted silks as well as their spices.

"Woah! Hey! Dragon!" a young man about the same age as Dragon shouted and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He would later reveal his name to be Renji.

They first met at the initiation ceremony a few weeks before they departed. Renji had managed to arrive half an hour before the event ended. Dragon noticed that while Renji may have cared about being a Marine, he had difficulty following rules. His clothes always had wrinkles or stains, and his hair was a rumpled orange mess beneath his crooked Marine hat.

Dragon averted his stare from the man as he spoke. The question was redundant. Someone obviously forced him to be there. The dark skinned man leaned over the edge of the ship as he breathed in the ocean air instead of engaging in a potentially never-ending conversation.

Renji stopped bouncing and joined him by leaning against the edge as well. "You know, I'm going to become just like your dad one day," he grinned. "Then I'm going to be the Fleet Admiral so that I can help people."

Dragon scowled, "Don't talk to me." Disliking the idea of befriending a dog like him, he tried to walk away, but Renji stayed in pursuit.

"Hey, let's be friends," suggested the hyperactive man, "I'm not saying that because you're Garp's son! I just think you're really cool." He flailed his arms as he spoke to emphasize his excitement.

Of course, when Dragon attempted to go to the barracks, Renji's bed happened to be right next to his. Sitting on his bed, he faced his peer. "What?" barked Dragon.

Luckily, Renji had a resilient spirit. He truly did not care if Dragon didn't want him around. Grinning, he said, "We could rise in the ranks together. You just joined, right?"

That would never happen, for Dragon planned to ditch the military as soon as he found proof of their corruption. Some days he doubted himself. The most significant event to occur since he joined was a few days ago when they served fresh meat in the mess hall. No government conspiracies came to light. Although the ship's leader happened to be an asshole, he had yet to indicate that he had irredeemable qualities.

Looking under Dragon's bed, Renji kneeled down beside it. "I accidentally used a drop of water in a bucket of soap when I mopped the deck today," he mentioned as he rumbled through the pristine notebooks beneath Dragon's bed. "You have a neat bed," commented Renji.

Before the strange man could find anything, Dragon attempted to kick him swiftly. However, Renji blocked his attack with his arm. Dragon's eyes widened. Perhaps he was stronger than he initially thought. They exchanged a look. For that time, the rebellious recruit would at least hold a conversation. His interest piqued by the glimpse of Renji's adept perception.

"I take notes on the people I see on our journey. I observe their cultures and how certain people are affected by each other and the world. I'm a sociologist of sorts," he explained. Technically, that was true.

Renji could accept that answer. He plopped on his unkempt cot and folded his legs. "You don't seem like much of a people person. Don't you have to like people?" chuckled Renji, "Didididi, but that's cool! I'm Renji." He pointed to himself with his thumb as he spoke.

Dragon already knew his name, and he could immediately tell that this guy would not leave his side for a while. "I will not become chummy with you, so don't assume we are friends. I work alone, and I am not interested in advancing within the Marines," he stated.

The orange haired man grinned. Already, they were getting to know each other. "Well, if we become friends, don't go blaming me," Renji told him. He wiped his nose with a single finger. "Do you have a Devil Fruit power?" he asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going. As he saw that his counterpart got up to leave the barracks, he followed him out the door.

"No," answered Dragon. Of course, he beat himself up for responding.

Renji crossed his arms behind his neck and looked at the sky. While he almost knew that his crewmate would ask him about his Devil Fruit status, he wanted Dragon to like him, so he didn't say anything. "I think that Gol D. Roger fellow has the Weather Weather Dragon Fruit that I really, really want. Have you heard about it? I'm sure you have from your dad. One time, Garp almost caught him, but then he made the island flood and stuff. Jeez, you dad is awesome. I hope I get to meet him again, but when I meet him, I want to get promoted to Commodore at least," the Marine ranted on about whatever crossed his mind.

The rebel let out a large sigh; he saw their Commander approach from the fore of the ship. His day could only get worse if he stayed in place. He scoffed, "Let's go to the mess hall." While he and his father shared little in common, he somehow inherited his appetite.

"Yeah!" Renji grinned.

* * *

As he followed Dragon through the cafeteria line, he awed at how much meat he piled on his plate. And so, he tried to rival him by piling an equal amount of food on his plate. "Hey, I eat a lot, too!" he boasted. Maybe he could out-eat his comrade. They shared the same food preferences, too. He grinned as he mused over how they would become good friends.

Once they sat at a table, someone new sat next to them - a girl with long, blonde hair. Her Marine uniform flawlessly fit the perimeter of her curvy body. Most of the men on the ship would kill to have her sit next to her, but she didn't allow that to get to her head. She glared at Dragon with her brown eyes as she loudly whispered to Renji, "Why are you hanging out with _that_ guy?"

Dragon tried to avoid eye contact as he scarfed down his massive amount of meat dishes.

The orange haired guy spoke as he chewed his food. "He's my new friend!" he incoherently exclaimed. Bits of meat flung from his mouth onto the middle of the table.

"I'm not your friend. You keep following me, and that's why you're here now," explained Dragon - food flying from his mouth as well.

The girl grabbed her belly. As she watched the voracious men scarf down their meat, the sight nauseated her increasingly bubble stomach. She knew her pale skin developed a green tint. These guys ate in such a disgusting fashion that she would accept never touching a piece of meat again. She bit her lip as she peered at the scary-looking guy. "Can't you guys stop eating for a second? I can hardly understand you two!" she whined.

Renji took a glass of water and turned towards the girl. When he tried to talk, water spurted from his nose onto the girl's shirt.

Dragon snickered.

She swiftly punched both of them in the head, and they fell to the floor. "Hey!" yelled the young woman, "You got me wet!"

The rebel rubbed his head as he grabbed for his fork. Instead, a small, feminine hand chopped at his wrist. Dragon exclaimed, "What the hell?" The annoying girl stood with her arms crossed as she looked down at the assaulted man. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked as he got to his feet. Of course, he towered over her, so he glared down.

"I'm a rank above you and a year older, so you better show a little more respect if you want to make it around here. Commander Sakazuki is looking for you, you know. Apparently, you failed to do your latrine duty, so I think you should get written up. But I'll be nice today and let you off with a warning," she reprimanded him after she took few steps back.

Dragon looked over at his alleged friend. "How does she know that?"

Renji rubbed his head and weakly, attempted to get back to his spot at the table. "That's Silk. She's pretty annoying," he groaned. They had known each other for a few months, but they hardly got along. Although they both had somewhat outgoing personality traits, Renji 's laid-back personality contrasted with Silk's steady demeanor. She never succeeded in her attempts to set him straight either.

"I'm not annoying! Don't you think you've had enough food, Renji?" she growled as she pointed towards the stack of a dozen empty plates.

Would Dragon ever get peace again? Perhaps, if he played along with their ridiculous game of cops and robbers, that would satisfy them enough. He grumbled, "What do you want me to do?"

Silk's eyes widened. She didn't expect him to oblige to her command. "Um," stammered the girl, "Let's see. If I want to make you two obedient, then I probably have to get to know you a little better. I already know a lot about Renji, but I need to know you better so that I can get you to do what I want."

"What?" Dragon grimaced, "That's something you covertly investigate." His brow twitched as he watched her pull a clipboard from her blue satchel. "What's that?" he inquired as he observed her flipping through the array of pages with ID pictures.

Silk smirked as she eyed the man from head to toe. "Ah," she gloated with a haunting smirk, "Monkey D. Dragon - son of Garp the Hero, your blood type is F. You are currently 19 years old. You disregard most assignments, rules, and figures of authority. However, your strength automatically promoted you to a First Class Private. I will add to this chart that you aligned with Tenki D. Renji."

Of course, the fact that anyone had tabs on Dragon irked him, but he knew that would be the case to some extent after joining the Marines.

However, one of her remarks stuck out the most. "Tenki?" asked Dragon as his head snapped around, "You're from the Tenki Clan?" He had read about many different tribes of people that roamed the world. To understand the oppression that certain individuals experienced, he developed a curiosity for the Tenki Clan in particular. The Government supposedly experimented on them.

"Yeah!" he grinned. A bone of meat protruded from his mouth. "I didn't tell you?" Did Dragon's sudden interest mean that they had officially become friends?

The Tenki Clan could supposedly predict the weather from kilometers away. "And you're a D," Dragon thought out loud. Perhaps, this person could become useful in joining his potential rebellion. He smirked, "Let's go out to the deck."

Although the dark-haired man never had an interest in making friends, he suddenly wanted to know more about Renji's powers. While he also wanted to bring up the tragedy, his lack of social skills impeded him from asking.

Diverse people of the world amused Dragon. Renji's bright, orange hair set him apart from the squadron. Although he claimed to care about rank, he clearly had deeper motivations. Unfortunately, the Tenki bought the idea that becoming a dog of the World Government somehow benefited the people the most. Even pirates could help more people than the Marines.

Renji stood up and swallowed the contents of his plate of food. "Alright!" he agreed with a broad smile. Spitting a bone out onto the floor in front of Silk, he jumped over the table and darted towards the door.

"Wait!" pleaded Silk as she chased after the men. Those losers should have listened to her. If they weren't careful, Commander Sakazuki would probably penalize them. After Dragon had neglected his chore, she cleaned the men's latrines. She also mopped the deck after Renji supposedly finished last night.

The headquarters promoted her because of these outstanding efforts, so she did not mind using their incompetence to boost her standings. While their leader noticed her efforts, she preferred if the bumbling fools did not realize she bent over backward to keep their squadron afloat. Perhaps, deep down, she enjoyed being the backbone of their ship.

* * *

"East-North-East, is there a storm over there?" asked Dragon. He gripped the edge of the ship and eagerly stared out to sea. Although he hardly showed extreme emotions such as excitement, he looked forward to witnessing the powers of a Tenki. They had a small lineage of five surviving members, but their name spread around the world. Someone from the clan traveled with Gol D. Roger.

Renji closed his eyes. He allowed the misty sea to encompass him. The warm winds from the south blew his shaggy hair. "I don't know what direction that is, but there's something over there," he noted as he pointed to the North-West-North behind them, "I think it's a storm." Sweat dripped down his brow. "I can only feel things for about 20 kilometers, so it really doesn't help a lot."

He could predict the weather, but he couldn't tell what direction he faced? Dragon smirked at the irony. No longer did the dark rebel feel the need to stifle his questions. He envied Renji's innocence.

"I thought women inherited that ability," Dragon mentioned.

"Yeah, well, I was the only man in my family who could do it."

Maybe Renji had a relaxing kind of effect on most people. "The fruit you mentioned - why would you want that if you can already sense the weather? Do you know what it does?" he inquired.

"Um," Renji contemplated his reasoning, "I guess I want it because it's cool. I could be a Wizard! They say you can change the weather with that fruit. If I get the fruit, then I can get promoted, too!" He bounced as he talked about the possibilities. While various people called his family wizards and witches, he never put into words that he aspired to have magical powers.

So, he wanted to advance his standing in the military by becoming stronger. "While I don't have a fruit, I'll eat the first one I get," Dragon admitted. Why was he sharing all this information with someone who aspired to work for the government? He frowned.

Renji repeatedly slapped Dragon on the back. "Dididi, it's alright, Dragon. D's don't need fruits, don't you know? But if we get them, then we're just about undefeatable."

Dragon's eye twitched. He did not require his crewmate's comfort. However, he agreed that he could achieve his goals without super powers.

Commander Sakazuki emerged from the lower levels of the ship. His tan cape flowed in the wind as he promptly stomped towards the two young men. Looking down at them, he scowled, "Monkey, Tenki, your work has been abysmal lately. Do I need to have you demoted?"

Renji dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Tears dripped from his eyes as he pleaded, "I'm sorry Commander. Please forgive me! I tried my best to clean up the deck, but your gross cigar ashes are hard to clean up." Somehow, he failed to realize his lack of respect.

"What did you say?" shouted the superior as he glared at the young man's blubbery apology, "And you," Sakazuki pushed his finger onto Dragon's forehead. "Show some respect. You have neglected your latrine duties since you got here. Silk covered for both of you idiots, and looking after you two isn't her responsibility. You're Marines. Everything is your responsibility. Do you hear me?!"

The sobbing mess on the floor agreed, but Dragon stayed silent. He wondered why that woman he hardly knew tried to cover for him. Most likely, she had ulterior motives. He would have to investigate her later.

"Listen up," the Commander roared, "Once we land at Fahre, we will gather the appropriate amount of supplies to continue on our journey. You two will stay back to clean the kitchen. Straighten up your look, Privates. You look ridiculous."

When the official finally left, Dragon pulled Renji up from the floor. He scoffed, "You say that you know what D's are made of, but then you collapse into a pathetic mess whenever that asshole comes around."

Renji put his hands up in defense. He sniffed, "He just scares me."

"Because he can control molten lava?"

"What?" screamed Renji as his jaw dropped, "What the hell? I didn't know that!"

Dragon pushed his palm to his forehead. How did he get caught up with this idiot? "You need to toughen up, Renji. If you want to keep following me, you need to stop whining and start learning about how messed up this world is," he declared as he pointed towards him.

"I don't want to be grumpy like you," pouted the orange haired man, "I want to be happy and make other people happy, too."

"I'm not grumpy!" growled Dragon. Unfortunately, he learned the ills of the world first hand. Their current system only benefited a few groups of people.

Renji stuck his tongue out. "I'm tough, too. I don't need your stupid lectures," bickered the Tenki.

Dragon could not deny an aura about Renji that radiated integrity. Maybe he could revolutionize his perspective through strength. Because Garp defeated him, he persuaded Dragon to join the Marines. That's how he learned to handle disagreements.

Curiously, Renji's naive disposition juxtaposed his muscle definition. Earlier, when Dragon attempted to kick him, he blocked the attack. "How strong are you?" asked the dark haired man.

"I'm super strong!" bragged Renji as he gripped the air with his fist, "You must be pretty strong if you're Garp's son."

"Stop comparing me to him," Dragon scowled, "My strength has nothing to do with him." Although his power had a lot to do with his father, he would never admit that. Garp threw him into caves, forests, and oceans with no food or water. All his life, he had to find his way to survive because of his father. Despite his upbringing and genetics, Dragon could acknowledge his old man play any role in the person he became.. "Prove your strength to me, Renji," he taunted.

Renji grinned, "No problem. I wanna arm wrestle." Of course, he noticed that Monkey's initially reacted in a peculiar fashion. "When everybody leaves, we'll do it in the mess hall. The only rule is you have to put everything into this."

* * *

Hours later, the ship docked, and everyone left, Dragon and Renji sat at the same table from earlier that day. Their eyes met as they leered at each other with a hunger to win. While they stood for different values, they figured that their counterpart would eventually come around. Joining their hands at the zenith of their arms, they gripped as tightly as they could.

"I'm not gonna go easy on you!" they simultaneously declared.

Pushing against the opposing arm with sheer force, they held a solid stalemate for several minutes. With no end in sight, neither party would ever succumb to fatigue or pain. Their teeth ground as their arms pulsated. Sweat dripped to the table, yet for that moment, they battle remained bloodless. Their eyes never left each other as their arms seemed to stand perfectly in place. However, upon closer inspection, the joint rapidly oscillated.

"What are you guys doing?" yelled a feminine voice from the corner of the room.

Dragon's arm fell limp and slammed against the table. "Dammit!" he cursed. That annoying girl came back and purposely broke his concentration. "I thought everyone else went to the island."

She crossed her arms and grinned. "I stayed back to keep an eye on you two," she laughed, "Delinquents like you can't stay here without strict supervision."

"I won!" cheered Renji, but no one seemed to care. His stomach growled. "Silk, I'm hungry," he whined.

Silk tightened her fist as she sneered, "Don't ask me for things like that."

"We heard you've been cleaning up after us," Dragon taunted with a small grin. He knew most people feared him for whatever reason, so he used that notion to his advantage. "I bet you'll do the dishes for us if we leave. Renji, why don't we leave immediately to get food from the town?"

She protested, backing away from him as he approached her. "Who told you that?" Silk stuttered. Rank meant little in the realm of strength. She knew Dragon could easily overpower her, so she guarded her face with her clipboard. Trembling and panting, Silk realized she could not defeat this man in combat. However, she took a swing at him anyway. "Don't bully your superior, Dragon!" she shouted.

The tall man bent over in pain. He had let down his guard.

"Food! Food! Food!" Renji chanted.

Silk panted as she walked away. Now, she no longer feared him.

Dragon instinctually grabbed for Silk's shoulder, but Renji blocked him by standing between them. "Man," he complained, "I guess Silk isn't gonna make me any food. I'll just have to eat in the city. Silk, you wanna come, too?"

Silk wanted to see what kind of clothes the famous Fahre had to offer. No one ordered her to look after the two incompetent fools, so she agreed with a sigh, "I'll go get my stuff." Rationalizing situation, she decided that she would come back as soon as she finished looking around the town. They planned to dock there for the next 12 hours.

Renji grinned, "Dididi, I knew you'd come around." Once she left the room, he turned to Dragon. "Silk is annoying, but she's my friend, too." he laughed once again.

In response, the brooding man diverted his attention. He growled as he tightened his fist, "That girl makes me angry."

"Right!" Renji decided, "I'm gonna wash some dishes!" Prancing over to the sink, he broke nearly every plate he touched. At least, he would try to wash the dishes. The Admirals that initiated him commended him for his perseverance.

On the other hand, Dragon took a seat. He tapped his fingers on the table and squirmed thinking about Silk. She angered him more than she should have, but why? Perhaps, the notes she took of him irked her. If he were to revolutionize the world, he could not afford to have anyone observing him as carefully as she did. Standing up, he resolved to go to her suite and settle this matter.

* * *

Dragon had waited nearly half an hour for Silk to return, so he left without a word and burst open the door to Silk's suite. "Hey, what's taking you so long?!" he shouted as he walked into the room. "What? Where are your clothes?" he shouted as he scanned her from top to bottom. Never had he seen a woman naked.

Silk covered her ample chest. "I'm changing," she grumbled, "You need to get out." What an idiot!

However, if he liked her body, then maybe she could use that to her advantage. Maybe he would follow her commands if she used her sex appeal. Albeit, when she glanced at his deep frown and crossed arms, she realized that he showed no sign of interest.

Dragon wondered why women took such a long time to get dressed. That was until a strange feeling in his slacks broke his train of thought. "Fine," he grimaced as he slammed the door. At 19 years old, he could not find the words to describe the sensation he felt when he looked at Silk. His heart raced as cold sweat developed on his palms.

Upon entering the mess hall, Renji greeted, "Hey, so I washed the dishes, but I broke most of them. That's just how things work I guess."

"Um," Dragon stammered. This situation was stupid - he could never share something embarrassing with Renji. They had just become acquainted that day. Already, the feeling shrunk as time passed. He took a deep breath and tried to forget everything happened.

The fact that Dragon ran to Renji in a moment of desperation entertained him. Maybe his happy-go-lucky demeanor complemented Dragon's cynical nature. If he managed to revolutionize Renji's thinking, perhaps they could become friends for a long time.

Renji grinned, "Come on, Dragon. You were gonna tell me a secret, right?"

Silk stomped into the room. "He's not gonna tell you anything! Let's just go!" she shouted with her face full of redness.

The two guys followed her out the door. Dragon tucked his hands into his pockets as Renji pushed down on his shoulder. He had a feeling that these people would refuse to leave his side for a long while, but he also hated to admit that he wanted them.

* * *

 **A/N: I don't know how long this story will be, but I have a lot of stuff planned!**

 **I threw Silk into the story because I didn't want to make another OC. I'll change her name if you guys hate me for it.**

 **If Renji use** **d a bō/staff** **to fight, would that be too cliche?**


	2. Chapter II

**A/N: I make a lot of connections in this chapter for exposition sake. Again, I loathe making original characters so that you might see familiar people in odd places in this chapter.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter II**

Silk panted as she attempted to keep up with Dragon and Renji. They had stopped at a restaurant, but apparently, the cooks did not provide enough meat for the duo, so they had to search for a place that could serve the correct proportions of protein. Maybe, they purposely wanted to tire her so that they could ditch her. Yes, the devilish partners must have conspired to abandon her at some point.

"Wait a minute!" shouted the blond girl. She watched the two men stop in their tracks and reluctantly trod back to her. "I want to stop at this fruit stand." She pointed at a scraggly old man with a stall of assorted produce.

Renji whined, "What? Fruit?" No one served any meat! Renji like other foods, but that variation of protein filled him the most.

Dragon approached Silk as well, but why? Maybe he felt the need to watch over her. After all, he did not hate her, and she happened to be kind of weak.

"Sir, you have amazing produce," Silk began as she gawked at the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. "Fahre is not only known for its silk but its fruit as well, right? I know you have a lot of different options." Her mouth agape and her eyes full of water wonder, she smiled. While she made up her mind on which fruit to buy, she took a break to listen to Dragon harass some kid.

The dark brute snatched a large, white ball from a young girl!

Silk never believed Dragon was evil, but she could not believe he would stoop to that level. Gripping the hilt, she cautiously unsheathed her sword. While she did not plan to slice him, her sword would give her a bit of leverage if he decided to reveal himself as an evil-doer. She pointed the tip of her weapons to the dark man's face and glared up at him.

Inching closer to the tip of her sword, Dragon dropped the ball and grinned, "You're still scared of me." He pushed his palms against the sides of her sword to control whatever swing she may have taken. Hopefully, she knew that he had the upper hand or else this situation could get a lot more troublesome.

However, upon staring her down, he visualized her nude as he saw her earlier that day. Why did he have difficulty getting that image out of his mind? Furrowing his brow, Dragon stared at her bosom. He also did not understand that feeling he received from looking at her.

As Dragon contemplated his sensations, Silk kicked him in the shin and sheathed her sword. "Why would you take that kid's ball? I expected better of you!" she lectured.

A small girl with her hair in a bun ran up to Dragon. "Thanks for getting my ball back from Mikoto," she thanked him. "Can you play ball with me?"

"Scram," sighed Dragon as he avoided eye contact.

The kid giggled, "What? I'm just saying thanks for taking my ball back from her." She passed the ball to him.

When the rebel caught the toy, he wasn't sure if playing with a kid would be a good idea. His strength could topple her over if he passed it to her too hard. To be safe, he kicked the ball to Renji and nodded.

Silk realized that Dragon had more softly spoken to the girl than he usually talks. He took her toy from a bully. Perhaps, the dark-haired man had some similarities to the pure-hearted Garp. Placing a hand over her racing heart, she realized that she had yet to get over her fear of him. Everyone told her that he got into fights a lot in his hometown. Someone told her that he even killed a man. Most people could not figure out why he joined the Marines.

Then, Silk looked over to Renji as he swiftly kicked the ball back and forth between the girl and Dragon. While she did not know much about Renji, she knew that he waited on his island's dock for weeks before a Marine ship passed by him. Some people said he jumped an entire kilometer to land on the vessel. He mentioned that he had little to say about his parents, but his father dropped him off on a destitute island. The villagers told him that his mother must have died since she never returned.

She watched as Renji kicked the ball upwards then backflipped to catch it with his head. However, when she looked back to Dragon, Dragon wasn't there! "Where did Dragon go?" she groaned. When she heard no response, she turned around to look for the conspicuous orange-haired guy, but Silk did not see him either.

"Bye, misters!" shouted the girl.

Silk ran in the direction that the girl had yelled. "Ugh! Guys!" complained the Marine.

A short distance away, Renji ran across rooftops to catch up with his friend. "I knew you were a softy!" he teased with a coy smile.

Crossing his arms as he ran down the streets, Dragon scoffed, "Tch."

"For a sec, I thought you were worried about Silk, too. You kept looking back when we went through the city earlier. Even though she's a clumsy fighter, she's tough, so she doesn't need," Renji began.

Dragon interrupted him, "I don't care about her. Leave me alone." Turning the corner, he disappeared into a dark alleyway.

"That guy's pretty funny," laughed Renji. "And fast, too." He bent over to catch his breath.

* * *

After wandering around for what seemed like an hour, Renji jumped down in front of an older woman. Her face turned blue as soon as he touched the ground. Sighing, he watched as she fainted. "I was just gonna ask where they serve meat," he whined. Then, a large, black and white bird with panda patterns caught his eye as it perched on the top of a building dozens of meters away from him.

"Woah!" gawked Renji as he ran through crowds of people to chase the bird. When he got close enough to reach the bird's tail feathers, the orange-haired man sneezed. "Oh, yeah," he remembered. "Feathers make me sick." Back on his home island, he had difficulties hunting birds. They always made him sneeze until his eyes burned red. Rubbing his face, he watched the panda-like bird fly into a particular direction. Hastily, he continued chasing it until it stopped near a restaurant.

The restaurant had a sign with a picture of meat on the front.

Barging through the doors, Renji disregarded the bird and the random men that were ransacking the shop. "Oi!" he yelled. "Is there food here?"

"Are you an idiot? Can't you see that I'm getting robbed?" yelled a girl from the center of the shop. Sweat slipped down her forehead. "If you're a Marine, then you should arrest these guys." She was tied to a wooden column.

Renji turned around to converse with her. He pointed at himself. "You want me to arrest them? That's not fun."

One of the scruffy thieves pointed a gun at the orange-hared sailor. "I'll take this scrawny guy. You two check the back for any kinds of money. I don't think we'll be able to get anything for these ugly clothes," he ordered.

Even as Renji stared down the barrel of the gun, he calmly strode towards the assailer. "You're not gonna shoot that gun," laughed the Tenki.

The man grunted, "What?" However, he received a hit to the stomach before he flew out the door.

His lackeys tried to run, but Renji jumped from the floor and dashed to clothesline them. Then, he threw them out the window.

Again, he glanced at the damsel previously in distress. "I'm hungry."

"Well, you'll have to untie me first!" she yelled. However, she had never witnessed any fighting style like that. Renji's arms grew some kind of black armor. Was that a Devil Fruit? Once he untied her, she stretched her limbs. "Thank you." Her curiosity led her to ask, "Was that a Devil Fruit you used to fight them?"

"No," he said as he shook his head. "That's just Haki." Blinking, he noticed how this girl hardly seemed traumatized. That amused him. The fact that she did not know what Haki was surprised him. Someone with nerves like her would make a good fighter.

She brushed her short, light-blue hair from her face and straightened her pink shirt. As she attempted to fix what the robbers ransacked through, she noticed that this guy sincerely wanted food from her. "This is no longer a restaurant, but if you buy enough of my wares, I will cook a meal for you," she revealed. Her dialect and speech pattern contrasted from the majority of the villagers.

"Clothes? I don't care about that sort of thing!" Renji yelled.

Well, that much was apparent to the woman. The mysterious man had stains all over his white uniform. However, was he truly okay with paying? After all, he nearly saved her life. She expected more resistance than a simple statement of indifference.

"How many clothes do I have to buy to eat enough meat to fill up that table?" He pointed to one of the circular tables behind him.

The woman widened her eyes to assess whether or not this man seriously requested that much meat. Surely, he must have been joking. "12 outfits which cost approximately 10,000 belli each," explained the tailor with a soft smile.

"Um," Renji stammered and tried to count on his fingers. "That's about 35,000 belli, right?" He held up four fingers.

Sweat dropped down the side of her face. "That is far off," she thought to herself. "How much do you have?"

Pointing to the text on his hat, he declared, "I'm a Marine, so I have to write the price on one of those papers, and then they'll send you the money before the next day." Reaching under his hat, he pulled out his ID. "See? You just need that number on there."

The tailor narrowed her eyes and inched her face closer to the card. His name was Tenki D. Renji. "I see," she plainly said, but on the inside, she eagerly awaited getting a good amount of money from him. She had heard about cards like this, but she didn't want to go too crazy. If she wrote some obscene amount, then the military would probably come to confiscate her entire establishment. "My name is Ann. Tell me what colors you want, and I'll have them ready by tonight."

"We're leaving at dawn - I think, but I don't care if you give them to me at all. I don't care about colors, and I always wear stuff like this," Renji began as he opened his shirt to reveal a gradient tank top and an open buttoned shirt. "I want the food first."

"Yeah, yeah," Ann sighed. She turned on the stove to place a skillet on the top. "Why'd you become a Marine? Are you the type of guy that likes to boss people around? Or are you gonna tell me you're doing it to heal the world?" she asked. Though, she noticed he did not arrest the robbers.

Renji grabbed his stomach and lied his head on the bar. "I became a Marine because of Monkey D. Garp. He traveled around the world and had lots of stories. Since then, the last thing I wanted to do was stay on a single island forever." Then he looked at the meat she dropped into the pan. "It's okay if I eat raw meat," he moaned.

"I'm not gonna give you raw meat," she sighed over her shoulder. As the food sizzled, she contemplated his innocent motivation. With a small smile, she envied the lack of angst, but there must have been something more to his past.

"Stop following me!" roared a voice from the entryway.

Ann jumped and began to grab for the carving knife near the stove. She wasn't prepared to try to put up a fight again.

Renji waved without looking towards the door. "It's fine. They're my friends," he smiled.

"If you keep yelling like that, you're gonna scare people away," Silk scowled. Quickly, she adjusted her face to smile at the shopkeep. "Hi, someone said that you run a restaurant, and then someone else said that you sold clothing. Which one is it?" Looking around, she also noticed the broken windows and knock over tables. Immediately, she began to replace as much as she could.

Pointing at the oven, Dragon said with a smirk, "Looks like she's cooking something."

Silk's head ached when she replied, "Yes, but she also has an assortment of fabrics laid out on the bar."

Ann turned off the gas. "This place is no longer a restaurant, but I cut a deal with your friend so that I would make him food after he bought twelve outfits," she explained. The sweat on her palms dried. "I can show you what I have."

Too embarrassed to request food, Dragon glared at Renji's fresh plate of food when he sat next to him. His stomach growled as loudly as he did.

"There's enough for both of you, but you're going to have to pay, too," Ann grinned. "I'm a business woman." By the time she finished explaining her payment system, the two men had already devoured the food she had cooked. "What?" she exclaimed.

Silk took a seat next to Dragon. "They're monsters," she groaned. "I've never seen anyone eat as much as they do. I can help with the next round, but just make sure these guys made their payments."

The blue-haired girl laughed, "You all are interesting." She had not laughed since she left her home.

* * *

"You should join the Marines," Renji grinned at Ann as she took his measurements in the back room of her shop. "We could be in the same squadron, too." He enjoyed hanging out with her over the past few hours. The food tasted better than the stuff served on the ship, but if she wanted to make clothes, then that would be okay, too.

Ann smiled. "I'm flattered," she muttered. "But, I came here to pursue my dreams of making clothes. My father wanted for me to marry the Prince of Alabasta. When I refused, he threatened to exile me. Before I could risk shaming my family, I left behind everything and everyone I knew. From what I hear, my younger sister is engaged to the Prince which makes sense. They loved each other."

"I don't get what that has to do with joining the Marines. You can make clothes anywhere," explained Renji.

"I enjoy Fahre. This city has what I wished for Alabasta. People here do what they enjoy, and they allow others to enjoy it as well. Everyone helps each other despite their own circumstances, and they are considerably more humble than the nobles I have known," Ann frowned as she finished jotting down the measurements for Renji's clothing. Over time, she learned to suppress her cumbersome emotions, but the prospect of Renji and his friends leaving saddened her.

Renji stepped off of the stool and turned to face Ann. Their eyes met. "Okay," he nodded. "Maybe we'll eat again one day."

"I think you meant to say meet," she smiled.

Instead of responding with words, the young Marine sneezed three times in a row.

"Balloon!" happily exclaimed Ann.

A large bird flew through the open window behind Renji. Once it landed on a nearby couch, he exchanged a glare with the orange-haired man. "It's you!" growled Renji.

Ann approached Balloon to embrace him. "How was your day?"

Renji kept sneezing. "I met him earlier. I wanted to eat him."

Suddenly, the young woman filled up with rage. "You wanted to eat my best friend?" she yelled. Her face reddened as she stomped towards the person who admitted to a crime punishable by death in her book. "Renji!" As she neared Renji, her arms and legs tremored.

Ann always has an issue with anger. She suppressed the emotion until she exploded.

Silk opened the door with a wine bottle in her hand and called, "Ann, Renji, you have to come see Dragon! He's totally different when he's drunk!" When she took a step back out the door, she turned around to see if they followed. Through her hooded gaze, she slurred, "I hope I didn't interrupt a love scene or anything."

"No, never," lowered Ann. She took a deep breath and forced an awkward smile.

The blond girl did not sense the tension, for the alcohol in her blood hindered her thought process. Grabbing her new friend's hand, she led her to the front of the shop where Dragon sat.

"Oi, Ann," shouted Dragon. He grinned, but this grin differed from his usual smirk. "Silk says I'm acting different, but I think I'm acting the same as I always do. I'm not even drunk."

Renji's mouth fell open. Dragon turned into an entirely different person. Running up to the bar, he tightened his fists and smiled. "Drunk people tell the truth, so do you think we're friends, Dragon?"

Tilting his head, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Yeah, what else would we be? We're best friends."

"Woah!" cheered Renji. Although he would have believed that without verbal confirmation, the words felt nice to hear. "Okay, let's ask more questions!"

Ann knew little about Dragon or any of them. Could she truly blend in with this trio? They already seemed to be close friends. Then, earlier, she unnecessarily snapped at Renji, yet he seemed to immediately forgive her. Most people described her as aloof or mean, but these people barged past the barriers she put around herself. Already, they invited her to join them.

"Do you like to sing?" giggled Silk as she watched for Dragon's reaction.

"Yeah, I like to sing," he confirmed.

Renji plopped down onto a seat and started singing "Bink's Sake" with Dragon. After he had finished, he nodded to Ann. "Your turn, now," laughed the Marine. He noticed how quiet she was.

Ann teased, "Do you like Silk?"

"Ohhh," said Renji. He covered his mouth.

Silk covered her entire face. "How could you ask something like that?" she complained.

"Fwahaha! Of course, I like her! That's a stupid question," Dragon laughed.

"As a friend!" Silk corrected him. She still covered her face. Maybe he said that because he saw her naked, but regardless, butterflies fluttered in her gut.

According to Ann, she simply asked that question as revenge for the comment Silk made earlier. Luckily or unluckily for her blond friend, Dragon never corrected her correction. Ann felt like a kid playing truth or dare. "I think Silk is drunk enough to answer questions, too," smiled the young woman.

Renji shouted, "Hey, do you want to be a pirate?"

"That's a stupid question! I hate pirates. Also, I'm not that drunk," she lied about her level of intoxication, but Silk always hated pirates. One of the reasons she became a Marine was to show that her biological relation to a pirate meant nothing.

Snapping Silk out of her pensive contemplation, Dragon dropped his hand on her shoulder. "Oi, I need more food. Make me food," he whined.

The blond girl growled, "I can't just make you food in someone else's kitchen." When he lied his head on her other shoulder, Silk shivered. "Jeez, you're creeping me out! Why are you so touchy-feely all of a sudden?" She jumped up from her seat and watched Dragon face plant down to the floor.

Ann and Renji laughed.

"You should drink more wine!" commanded Silk. "I'm embarrassing myself too much."

"I have to get started on these clothes. You can cook something for poor Dragon. I don't mind," Ann smiled as she went back to her workshop. Twenty-five outfits in one night? She had been waiting for that sort of deal for a long time. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Renji follow her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Renji grinned. "You should be sorry for not coming with me to join the Marines. Everybody yells at me. Silk punches me all the time. Why didn't you punch me?" he asked.

Truthfully, she simply did not know how to express 90% of her feelings. People like Renji said whatever was on their mind, and she envied that. Twirling around, she stretched her arm to jab Renji in the arm. "Like this?" she asked. Her fist lingered on his arm as they made eye contact for the second time that evening. Did Renji like her? Had he ever asked someone to join just to be near him? Maybe he wanted her because of her cooking.

Renji had nothing romantic on his tongue. Walking over to the giant bird in the corner of the room, he touched its head. "I don't eat every animal," he admitted.

"He's been with me since I was a kid. A lot of people have pet birds over there," she explained. "I'm glad you like him, and I'm happy I met you, too." Ann enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere that Renji carried. She would miss him.

* * *

Before dawn, Ann finished all twenty-five outfits. In reality, she made mostly accessories for the guys. For Silk, she crafted actual outfits. She somehow finished around 2 am and managed to get some sleep. Silk and Dragon fell asleep in her bedroom while Renji fell asleep on her couch. However, the blue-haired woman wound up resting at her workbench for the remainder of the night.

"Augh! What am I doing in a bed with you?" shouted Dragon. "Gah! Why does my head hurt?" He held his throbbing head.

Silk covered her body as she sat up in bed. As she took the time to recollect her memories, she checked to see if she still wore clothes. Of course, she was not completely naked, but most of her uniform lied on the floor along with Dragon's undershirt and Marine coat. "You're overreacting," she reminded him.

His eyes nearly jumped out of his head when he saw Silk in her black lingerie that bound her ample assets. Again, he yelled, "What?! How can you say that when you're in your underwear?" This time, the proximity must have caused his chest to thump. Trying to regain his composure, he took a deep breath and straightened his face.

"I always sleep like this." At least that was a different reaction from yesterday. With a sly grin, she inched towards him. "You're pretty crazy when you're drunk, Dragon," she teased. When he got up from the bed, she stared at his muscular abs and defined biceps. Gulping, she shook her head.

"I doubt that," he retorted before throwing her uniform towards her.

Narrowing her eyes, she sat up on her knees. "You said Renji is your best friend, and you like to sing, too," she grinned. Last night was fun. However, for some reason, she simply could not say the other thing he admitted.

Dragon turned away from her. "I see. I shouldn't drink in the future then, or else things might get out of hand."

"You said you liked her, too," said Renji from the entrance.

"What?" exclaimed Dragon. "That's definitely not true. All of what I said were lies by the sound of it."

Silk threw a pillow at the orange-haired man. "Get out! Don't tell him that!" she yelled before covering herself with blankets.

"Dididi, I didn't know it's okay for Dragon to see you naked," laughed Renji as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not naked," she growled.

Renji made his exit.

In an attempt to keep the upper hand, Silk swallowed her pride. "If you come back to the ship with me and help me do your chores, I won't tell anyone what happened last night," she offered. Red tinted her cheeks as she grabbed her clothes from the bed. Dragon most likely already understood that some of the events of last night and this morning would ruin her reputation as well. As far as she saw the situation, they were quid pro quo.

Dragon agreed, "Fine." That seemed like a relatively fair trade. As much as he loathed the fact that she could jerk him around, he could not explain what alternative pull she had over him. Maybe part of him admired her tenacious spirit, or maybe part of him admired her body - just a little. Of course, never in a million years would he admit that to himself.

Time would tell.

When they finished dressing with the door close, they exited the bedroom together.

"Are you guys gonna leave?" Renji asked with a frown.

Straightening her uniform, Silk replied, "We have to all be back in two hours, and Sakazuki-san will get upset if we're not done with our chores. Don't worry about yours. I'll help Dragon since you'll just mess everything up." She frowned when she saw that Ann was still asleep. "Did she finish are clothes?" she asked.

Ann stirred until she opened her eyes. "Oh, are you guys about to leave?" yawned the young woman.

Silk apologized, "Sorry for waking you. Did you manage to finish our clothes? It's fine if you didn't."

"No, I did," she smiled. When Ann opened the wardrobe, she revealed the 25 outfits and accessories that she promised. The clothes had a rainbow array of colors for all sorts of occasions.

Renji and Silk cheered, "Woah!"

Dragon merely reacted with a small smile. "Thank you, Ann," he nodded towards her.

The guys had similar jackets. While Dragon sported a long, dark blue coat, Renji received an equal length dark red one. They both had the kanji of their names written down the back. She also made a headband for Renji, and an armband for Dragon with their names on it as well. On top of that, she tailored two formal suits for all of them and casual shirts that matched their everyday wear.

Inspired by her Alabastan roots, Ann sewed everyone cloaks for rainy weather or deserts.

Silk, of course, received cute dresses of varying lengths. For her, Ann tailored more clothes for no extra charge.

"Thank you!" Silk and Renji cried after they tried on all their outfits.

"I don't like to write my own name on the clothes that I make, so I usually put the customer's name on them instead," Ann smiled. "A lot of people here say it doesn't fit the fashion of the island, so I'm really glad you like them."

With that, they continued their farewells for as long as they could until they departed.

* * *

 **A/N: I want to make a Tenacious D. pun. I wonder if that's what inspired Oda.**

 **I'm not good at imagining clothes. They probably look tacky.**


	3. Chapter III

**A/N: I changed the title to better fit the story. I equally focus on Dragon and Renji. I think.**

* * *

 **Chapter III**

Everyone knew there would be another week before they reached the Miliary headquarters, but Renji noticed a storm in the path of their shortcut. A lot of the world saw the Tenki family as witches, so they rarely humored their abilities. With Renji being a male, more people doubted his ability, for the world was accustomed to the weather oracles being females.

"Uh, Sakazuki," stammered Renji as he entered the leader's quarters. Clenching his teeth, he forced a smile and stuffed his fingers into his orange hair. He knew Sakazuki would doubt him.

Looking up from his desk, Sakazuki scowled, "What is it?" Surely, the kid mocked him - calling him by his first name without honorifics. He expected nothing more of the third rate sailor.

Sweat pouring down his neck, Renji did not know how to properly advise him. "We need to go a different way. I think there's a storm there," he warned but then shook his head. He needed to be more confident. "There's a gigantic storm there."

Sakazuki glanced over at the radar that could pick up on storms. "I don't see anything big here," he replied. "Are you trying to avoid one of the Vice Admirals?"

Renji furrowed his eyebrows as he felt his frustrated Tenki blood boil. "I know what a typhoon feels like. We need to change course or else we might sink. It's getting dark, too. I think we're gonna hit it in an hour." All this time, he tried to muster up the courage to talk with him.

"Listen, you might be trying to impress me, but I need to concentrate on my work. Play your pranks somewhere else and get out of my face."

Was he not going to listen to him at all? When they inevitably reached the strong gales and high waves, all of the Marines worked together to prepare for the worst. Renji did not want to be right about sailing towards the storm, but he would always tell people his forecasts despite the costs.

Calmly, he stayed still on the deck once everyone went down to the barracks. Standing in strong storms for a Tenki was calming. Although he could hear and feel every feature of the weather more than ten times as strongly as the average person, he learned to channel the chaos into white noise. He could foretell every gale and every lightning strike. Each droplet of rain fell in the exact way that he predicted.

Perhaps he had become hyper-sensitive to things like that because of his newfound Haki abilities. Either way, he was safe - Dragon was not.

"So," Dragon began in a monotone mutter, "you said you could feel the lightning before it happened?" He stood at the tip of the fore.

"Yeah," replied Renji - louder than his friend since the winds muted their voices. As the ship violently rocked, Renji knew that the worst had yet to come. However, he accepted Dragon's trust and sat on the edge with him. "I told you I tried to warn Sakazuki. We can make it through this, though."

So then, Dragon noticed the confidence in the orange-haired man's eyes. He could see the glint of bravery in his smirk. Reflecting the expression, Dragon turned back to the sea. "Damn right," he agreed.

Renji understood that Dragon didn't see him for his bloodline ability or for his D-related willpower, they had already become loyal Nakama over the time that they knew each other. The two teenage men had developed a mutual admiration.

"Are you guys a bunch of idiots?" yelled Silk from behind them. "If you don't get down to the barracks, I'm going to slice you in half."

Simultaneously, they turned around to raise an eyebrow at her. If they were idiots, then she was one, too. After all, why would she come out in weather like that?

When Renji noticed that she unsheathed her sword, he jumped from his position and tried to stop her. "Oi, it's a lot of lightning right now. Don't do that," he warned, placing his hand over hers. He left his oversized battleax beneath his cot. To that day, he didn't see an opportunity to bring it anywhere when he had his fists.

Dragon glanced over his shoulder, but before he knew what happened, a large tidal wave tipped the boat forward and his two friends came tumbling forward. Thus, because of that freak accident, Renji, Dragon, and Silk, flew overboard into the sea.

* * *

When they woke up, they found themselves in a net trap. Silk ended up on top of Dragon, and Dragon ended up on top of Renji. After they had shifted the blame for a half hour, Dragon finally decided that he needed to think of a plan to get out of the trap.

"Silk, break open the net with your sword," Dragon ordered. Renji left his battleax, but that would have been too dangerous in their situation anyway.

Sighing, Renji smiled - continuing the argument, "We weren't gonna get struck by lightning."

The blond haired woman combed her hair with her fingers. "I wanted to make sure you guys didn't die." Silk argued from Dragon's lap. If she used her sword in close quarters, then she risked slicing either of the men trapped with her. She didn't want to make matters worse.

Coming around the corner, a large man with a long mustache - or nose hair - emerged from the forest. "Oh, looks like I caught something," he noted as he wandered into the small clearing. Looking up, he observed the bunch of young people trapped in the net that hung above the sea. "Intruders? I didn't think this trap would work. I guess it did. Ha."

Silk, at the top, begged from her pathetic position, "Excuse me, sir, we need to get out of here."

"Out?" the man shouted. "Why would I do that? You guys are Marines."

Dragon repositioned himself to get a better look at the man. "I'm only with the Marines because of my dad."

"Why do you care if we're Marines?" whined Renji.

The older man scratched his head. "Well, I'm still a pirate," he muttered. Still, he wasn't sure what to do, so he asked for their names. When they responded, he recognized Dragon's at least. "Monkey? So, Garp's your dad?"

"Yeah," Dragon answered.

"That's not good," frowned the man. "I'm Gol D. Roger. Garp's been after me for years and years. If I kill you, then he'll kill me in no time flat."

Gol D. Roger? He was the Pirate King. They would die if Silk didn't use her diplomacy skills to talk him into freeing them. She flashed a coy and flirtatious smile, "Yes, so you should let us go since he's the son of Vice Admiral Garp. I'm nobody special, but I'm too cute to die, right?"

Already Roger let down the pulley and allowed the young Marines to escape, but instead, they lied in their dogpile. "Are you gonna skedaddle?" he asked, for he assumed that they would at least put up a fight.

Renji immediately told the truth. "We got nowhere else to go. We lost our ship, so we're basically stranded here."

Silk jumped to cover his mouth. "Don't tell him that!" shouted the girl. However, she would have to make it to civilization, and the pirate would probably not allow her to escape without a price. Calculating the situation, she observed the distant look in the older man's eyes. "We will be able to escape to a Marine ship, and since you have graciously let us go, I'm sure we can leave without letting them know of your existence."

"Roger, do you have the Storm fruit?" asked Renji with a giant grin as he put his arm around Roger's shoulders. "I can predict the weather, so it makes sense for me to eat that fruit."

Dragon nodded at the pirate. "We've heard rumors," he said.

"Are you guys even listening to me?" Silk yelled. She stood up to brush her damp uniform off. "Why do you think he's gonna tell you anything about his powers? We're supposed to be enemies."

Gol D. Roger chuckled, "Yup, I ate that fruit."

Silk's jaw dropped. She could not believe that he would divulge that information.

"I put that Typhoon over there so that nobody comes over here. I'm retired. Hey, are you guys hungry? I just got done cooking some food," he grinned as he scratched the back of his head.

"Hell yeah, I'm hungry!" cheered Renji.

Dragon crossed his arms. "What kind of food is it?" he asked in a low, monotone voice.

Silk sulked in the background. Now that they knew about food on the island, the guys probably would not listen to her until they got food in their mouths. "I guess I'll have something, too," she whined.

Roger led them to his campfire where they eventually sat for a late dinner and small party. They discussed quite a few things about themselves, and Gol D. Roger told them what One Piece contained for whatever reason. Over the course of a few types of meats, the group of men fostered a mutual respect. So the pirate placed a Devil's Fruit in the middle of the trio. "There you go, I found it a few days ago," he explained.

"W-We can have it?" asked Silk as she clasped her hands together. How much was it worth? She had extensive knowledge on Devil Fruits from books she read as a child. In fact, she wanted to trade them to earn money one day. Once she climbed in rank, she would probably have an easier time buying and selling fruits in the black market. This would be a good start, however. Taking the fruit into her hands, she observed it carefully.

The fruit looked like a large raspberry with dark blue swirls on the surface.

Placing his hands on his head, Renji asked the obvious, "Is that a Devil Fruit?"

Dragon grinned, "What does it do?"

"I've got no clue, but it's yours if you want it," Roger responded.

Upon closer inspection, Silk had a good idea of what the fruit could do. Although she forgot the exact name, she remembered the exact price. "This is a Tori Tori Fruit of a certain model. I forgot which model, but that doesn't matter. It's worth 90,000,000 beri. I could use money like that," she beamed.

Snatching the fruit from the girl, Dragon studied it. Perhaps, he could eat it. If he had a bird Zoan fruit, then he could fly away whenever he wanted. Sakazuki would be none the wise. That was, of course, unless that fruit turned the user into a chicken or another flightless bird. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as he contemplated his decision. "We're not gonna sell it," he decided.

A fire burned in Silk's eyes. "What? Of course, we're gonna sell it. You're not thinking about eating it, are you? You can't be trusted with that power," she growled as she prepared to lunge at the large man.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" challenged Monkey. He had the upper hand since he held the fruit. Tossing it into the air, he lifted his brow at the young woman.

Groaning, she agreed, "I could probably fight you instead, but I'll play your stupid game." She was cocky, for she almost knew that she could outsmart Dragon. When she lost, she pouted, "No fair. Let's play again."

Renji raised his head and grinned after thinking, "I'm not gonna eat it. I'll wait for Gol D. Roger to die, and I'll eat his Storm Storm Fruit like I wanted."

Dragon and Silk widened their eyes at what their orange crewmate declared. That almost sounded like he was challenging the Pirate King to a battle. However, Dragon's shock subsided, and he smirked as he reached for his staff. Eventually, he trusted that they would not come to blows. Either way, he came prepared for a fight.

Gol D. Roger let out a boisterous laugh. "You're in luck. I've been pretty sick lately, so I was thinking about turning myself in pretty soon - not without a fight," he said while he ruffled Renji's orange hair. "When I die, the fruit is all yours, but you have to find it." Holding up a finger, he peered into the Tenki's glossy eyes. He admired the young man's jubilant look on life.

Nodding, tears came to Renji's eyes. "Oh, I'll definitely find it," he promised as he cracked his knuckles. "I knew it was real! I-I'll make you proud and use it to catch my dreams."

"Okay," Roger cheered as he clasped his hand with the young man's hand. "I can give you a small boat and clear out a path of the storm, but on one condition."

The trio gave the Pirate King their attention.

He walked up to Dragon and pushed down on his left shoulder. Roger saw potential in all of them, and he could feel the potent Haki in both of the boys' bodies. "Tell your papa that I'll meet him on an island far south of here for one final battle. You said you were going to the Marine Headquarters, right?" he asked. When Dragon confirmed, he continued, "That's where we first fought. I need to spend some more time with my wife, and then I'll see him there in 1 year."

"Wife?" asked Silk as she approached him.

Roger laughed again, "Oops, I said too much. Do you want the boat or not, cute little girl?"

The flatter young woman pressed her reddened cheeks. "Do you really think I'm cute?" she giggled. How scandalous - attracting the Pirate King.

Scratching his head, Roger dug into his pocket to find something for Silk to have since her two friends received gifts from him. "I'm feeling generous, so you can have this key to the treasure chest over there. Take the chest, too."

Hugging him, Silk squealed, "Thank you, Gol-san. I'm so glad we met you." But then, she realized something - she couldn't take money from a pirate. Plus, she remotely cared about him. This was the first pirate that she didn't want to kill immediately. "I can't, though. It will be traced back to you."

"Oh, right," he thought out loud. "You like fruit, right? That's all you ate today. Uh, just take the basket then."

Happily, she took the assortment of fruits instead.

The pirate tried to remember anything else he wanted to say while he led them to their vessel. "I heard about Shichibukai. The World Government hires seven pirates and has them do what they want. Do you kids know anything about that?" he asked.

They responded with silence. Renji shrugged the thought off. He hardly cared what the World Government did. Silk jumped at the conspiracy theory. Could something like that be true? Then, Dragon enthusiastically smirked. He could never have theorized something like that happened.

"Ha," Roger laughed. "Oh, well."

From there, they said their goodbyes and embarked on their journey to either find Sakazuki's ship or the Marine Headquarters.

* * *

Sakazuki was not pleased when he learned that they got Silk into danger. Dragon and Renji had to remind him that the whole event happened because Sakazuki failed to heed Renji's warning. After getting through the storm, they still had several days before they reached the headquarters. For those several days, the commander assigned the two male recruits to do double the number of chores.

Renji frowned. His stomach sank as he reflected on his memories of Fahre. Silk and Dragon hurried as they cleaned the kitchen again. Renji could not understand why Dragon cared if people knew that he liked Silk. They were all friends. In fact, Renji liked Silk and Dragon. Without them, he would probably be alone.

"She's cleaning the mess hall with Dragon," saluted Renji.

After they had exchanged such information, Renji hid up higher to watch the leader converse with Silk, but then he saw Dragon hide in a similar manner. Why though? Was he spying on them? Renji failed to realize the irony. He was simply curious, but Dragon's scowl indicated his latent anger. "What is he so upset about? Didn't he know that Sakazuki always pulls aside Silk?"

"Silk," coughed the leader as he cleared his throat. "I wanted to speak with you about your performance."

Coy and cute, Silk clasped her hands behind her back. "Ah, Sakazuki-San, is everything okay?" she asked, bending forward.

Clearing his throat once again, he nodded, "Yes, um, your performance has been commendable. You have helped me watch over the two biggest troublemakers of the ship, and for that, I could not be more grateful."

"Aw, Sakazuki-san," Silk smiled as she rocked from side to side with a blush on her cheeks. "I just try to help you as much as I can."

Following a pause, Sakazuki continued, "Well, I noticed you enjoy fruits. You may have purchased some at Fahre, but I wanted to make sure that you enjoyed your visit somewhat." Extending his arm, he held out a mesh net full of vibrant fruits and vegetables. He failed to make eye contact when he heard her exclamations of joy, for perhaps, he would have overreacted if he saw the glow from her eyes. "They're not Fahrian. These are from the land we visited yesterday."

With a squeal, she graciously took the net of fruits with a smile. "Oh my gosh, thank you Sakazuki-san," she exclaimed. "You're so nice."

Pulling the brim of his hat down, he smirked, "I'm glad." Then, he remembered something important. Making eye contact with the blond beauty, he said, "Oh, listen, Silk."

"Yes?" she asked as she blinked.

"I," he began with a stammer, "I don't like Dragon, and I think you should stay away from him. He's my responsibility. I want you to focus on your goals."

Pouting, Silk poked out her lower lip. "But, sir, I want to help you," she whined. "Dragon's a real troublemaker, so I think if I watch over him, then I will be able to help you out, right, Sakazuki-san? He didn't do anything too bad at Fahre, and I even got him to clean the kitchen two times."

Placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder, Sakazuki nodded. "I appreciate that. I can assure you that you'll see a promotion when we get back to headquarters, but the notion still stands. Dragon has endangered you already. I know you see good in everyone," he smiled.

Wait, smiled? Since when did their commander smile?

Blushing, Silk responded with her sparkling eyes, "Okay, I'll try."

"You are dismissed," said Sakazuki as he tucked his hands into his pockets. As the blond girl pranced away, he watched her cut around the corner.

Dragon dropped down to the deck. He stood up to make direct eye contact with his supposed leader. "Fraternizing with an underling? That's not very professional of you, Sakazuki. You seemed to get way too chummy with her," he teased in a monotone growl. "Do you have a crush?"

"How about you mind your business, Monkey?" growled Sakazuki. So what if he had a soft spot for the top members of his squadron? Silk was a stand-up Marine, and he would never progress their relationship past one of mutual respect. Of course, he would never admit to Dragon that he admired Silk's dainty yet voluptuous rear ends - and front-ends for that matter.

Grinning, Dragon pushed down his white marine hat. "Ha, sure," he laughed. "I'll trust you, Sakazuki-san."

The commander growled something under his breath as he walked away from the private.

Then, Renji jumped down to the deck - catching Dragon off guard. "Hey, Monkey," he greeted. "Whatchu up to?"

"Don't scare me like that," growled Dragon.

"I think I'm gonna call you Monkey now," Renji chuckled. The thought of him scaring someone as tough as Dragon amused him. He leaned forward to wait for his reaction. Without words, he peered at his friend until he caved with more information.

To fill in his bottomless thoughts, Dragon needed to explain himself. The orange haired Tenki probably wondered why he had such a curiosity of Silk's relationship with Sakazuki. So then, he covered, "I just like messing with him, and this was the perfect opportunity to mess with him. He's probably gonna give me a promotion when we get back to the headquarters so that he can look good in front of Tou-san."

Renji nodded, "Oh, okay."

That was easy.

"I think I get promotions because of my family," he admitted. "Not the Tenki side, but my dad works for the military. He's training that Vegapunk guy. That's what people say at least."

If Dragon had his notebook handy, he would have written that information down.

* * *

Dragon had grown accustomed to Silk and Renji staying by his side. However, when they landed at the headquarters, various men tried to hold Silk's attention. For that time, the brooding Marine attempted to continue their argument about chores. "You're not gonna give me chores. What's your deal?"

"Melon!" smiled a Marine with hearts in his eyes. That's what they called her behind her back because of her large breasts. "How was your trip?"

There were more men of the same motivations, but Silk only made eye contact with her greatest adversary. "Sakazuki-san wants you to stay out of trouble. If you two don't work around here, then he said he's not going to take you with us next time," she frowned.

Another man approached Silk. Dragon moved to block him. With a smirk, he peered down at the petite woman. "See if I care. What does it matter if I stay here with Renji? At least I won't have to carry out pointless missions and have you breathing down my neck," he scowled and flashed his teeth like an animal. Over time he had known her, he learned what unnerved her the most, and raising voice while showing his teeth scared her the most.

However, Silk feared wanted her friends. Biting her lower lip, she frowned. How could she admit that she would miss her two friends? They would both incessantly tease her.

Renji whined as he pulled on his friend's arm, "Dragon, stop bullying Silk. She just said we can go to the mess hall first. They have better food here, and Obaa-san will let us take a giant pot of soup." His mouth watered as he daydreamed about the amounts of food he'd eat.

Lowering his face to hers, he grinned, "If I go, I'm not gonna go because she allows me. I'll go because I'm hungry."

Before Silk could argue, she shrieked with a large smile, "Bellemere!" Running away, she hugged her friend.

"What's up Silk," Bellemere smiled and waved. "I was wondering when I'd bump into you again. My dad, Momonga, wanted me to come here. He's been on my ass about everything since Borsalino, and the rest of our crew landed. We're about to leave now, though." Pausing, she pointed at the man peering over at them. He looked away. "You're friends with Dragon now?"

Sweat built up on Silk's forehead. "Uh, not really," she sighed. "I'm just watching over him and Renji."

Bellemere glanced at her watch and shouted, "Oi, Dragon, your dad wanted to see you in his office at noon."

"Garp?" Renji asked as his eyes lit up.

Turning around to walk to the mess hall, Dragon scoffed, "I don't care."

"I'm just a messenger," shrugged Bellemere. "Anyway, Silk," she continued her conversation.

Gasping, Renji pulled at his friend's arm. "Let's go see Garp, Dragon," he cheered. "I haven't seen him since orientation."

"I'm going to the mess hall. You can see him if you want," grunted Monkey before he strode in the opposite direction of his father's office. The last thing he wanted to do was get a lecture from the Vice Admiral. When Dragon turned the corner to the cafeteria, he collided with a large, graying man. "Tou-san!" he noted before receiving a swift punch to the head.

Monkey D. Garp crossed his arms and looked down at Dragon. "Sakazuki told me that you don't do your chores, and you've been harassing Silk on the ship," yelled the Marine.

Dragon's brow twitched when he stared up at his father. "I don't care what you think, Tou-san. I don't want to be a Marine anyway," he complained only to receive another punch to the head.

Renji ran up behind him. Stopping in his tracks, Renji's shoes screeched against the tile floors. His illuminating face grinned, "It's you! Garp, do you remember me?"

Studying the orange-haired kid's face, Garp recognized him immediately. Nodding, he said, "You're Tenki D. Renji. I saw you at the initiation ceremony, and I helped your village." He remembered finding him on a destitute island with no food or sanitized water. The Vice Admiral spent weeks helping the island regain some kind of self-sufficiency. They blamed Renji because they looked to him to control the weather, but he could only predict it.

Even after they found better ways to eat and drink, they held resentment towards Renji. Years later, when a Marine ship passed by the island, they found Renji somewhat malnourished and scrawny as he waited on a boulder for the Marines to finally recruit him. And when he left, he said his goodbyes with a smile.

"Yup, that's me," smiled Renji. "I'm Dragon's best friend."

Perhaps, Garp's son had finally found a friend. He was always the type to keep to himself, so sometimes, the proud father doubted that he could maintain a proper friendship. Lo and behold, he found Renji - or, Renji found him. "You made a friend!"

Dragon did not deny that, for he had moved past denying his friendship with Renji. He respected the Tenki too much for whatever reason.

Then he remembered, maybe he should go to Garp's office. They needed to discuss Roger's plans to fight him. "Tou-san," Dragon muttered. "I need to talk to you." Already, he began walking down the hall and to the room on the left at the end. If any of the other Vice Admirals or even privates heard of Roger's plan, they may report Garp. Dragon did not want that to happen.

Picking his nose, Garp reluctantly followed, and so, Renji did as well. Soon, they ended up in his office, so he took his proper seat and peered over at the boys. Continuing his lecture, he said, "Dragon, you need to do your duties."

"Dragon's been doing his chores now that Silk tells him to," Renji interjected. He saw himself as helping his friend; however, bringing up Silk caused a sudden physical reaction in him.

Garp chuckled, "You have a girlfriend - that girl, Silk. Sakazuki said you were harassing her, but really, you just like her. And she's been keeping you in line?" The question could have overflown from there, but the Vice Admiral restrained himself.

Dragon could not control his trembling hands and twitching brow. He pointed at his father. "Silk is nothing to me. She's just some girl that keeps bothering me about what I should be doing. Don't ask me about her, Tou-san!" commanded the rebel. What he did not realize was the fact that redness filled his cheeks and face.

Luckily, his father could not pick up on certain cues easily. The moment reminded him of the time where Garp fell in love with Dragon's mother. He laughed again at how something like that could be inherited. "Ah, I have to meet her now," he laughed. In fact, he could not stop laughing. Could he have grandchildren in the future after all? At that moment, he knew it would happen.

"Yeah, she's our best friend. You should totally meet her. She's really cool, too," Renji bragged.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about, Dragon, - your girlfriend?" asked Garp, leaning forward at his desk.

A vein bulged from Dragon's forehead. "No," he demanded, "I wanted to talk to you about an encounter we had with someone."

Lifting an eyebrow, Garp had to ask, "Who?"

"Gol D. Roger."

* * *

 **A/N: Gasp, does Dragon like Silk? The answer may be obvious.**


	4. Chapter IV

**A/N:** **Just in case you don't know:**

 **Sakazuki(30) = Captain Akainu**

 **Kuzan(24) = Lieutenant Aokiji**

 **Borsalino(33) = Vice Admiral Kizaru**

 **This is set before they became Admirals, so it wouldn't make much sense for them to have their code names.**

 **Another Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this fanfiction do not necessarily reflect my own. Also, I only own Renji. All other characters belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

* * *

 **Chapter IV**

"Gol D. Roger? You met him, son?" asked Garp as he grabbed the sheet of paper. The one thing in the world that he was serious about at all times was catching the Pirate King. Recently, he had heard that the man went into retirement, but he had his doubts. The only thing that could keep Roger from the sea was a sickness.

Dragon only planned on disclosing a certain amount of information. He hoped that Renji would follow suit. He would not tell his father about Roger's ailment, yet he would share his message. "Yeah, here's the note that he gave me to give to you."

Garp looked over the noted. "Ah, did you tell Sakazuki about meeting him?"

"No, and I made sure that Silk and Renji kept quiet as well. He gave them various gifts, so if they told Sakazuki that we met him, then they would get penalized. Right, Renji?" Dragon smirked once he nudged his friend in the side.

Jumping, Renji nodded, "Yeah, I'm not gonna say nothing." The somewhat honest relationship between Dragon and his father surprised him. They seemed like they would be at each others' throats for the entire day, but somehow, they managed to have civil conversations. He never expected them to get along.

Garp simpered, "Great, now, is there anything else I should know?"

While Dragon planned to keep quiet about the details, he nearly blurted, "He's sick." However, Silk entered before he could say anything else. Scratching his head, he wondered how he could be honest with Garp. After all, if he ever decided to defect, spilling secrets could lead to more trouble for him in the future.

The Vice Admiral hid the paper that he had examined carefully. Although once he saw that it was that blonde girl Silk that entered the room, he dropped his guard. She was family at that point. "Ah, Silk, you can take a seat, too."

Pulling down the brim of his hat, Dragon scowled, "She doesn't need to be here. Tou-san, are you done with us yet? I want some food."

"That's no way to talk about her, son," Garp lectured. Turning to Silk, he flashed a softer smile.

Silk held up her hands. "Oh, it's fine, Monkey-san. I was just checking up on Renji and Dragon. I hope I didn't distract you," she blushed. In addition to fiddling with the ends of her shirt, she sat down in the last empty chair on the side of Dragon. "Do you need me for something, sir?"

Flipping through papers on his desk, Garp nodded, "Oh, no, you're fine. You've been doing great work from what I hear. I want you to stay Renji and my son forever."

Pressing his palm to his forehead, Dragon sighed, "Are we done? Do you have anything else to say to me, Tou-san?"

"You call your father - Tou-san?" noted Silk. That wasn't the most respectful way to refer to a father, but it was a lot more respectful than she expected from Dragon. Looking forward at Garp, she nodded with a smile, "I want to do my best. I think they both show a lot of promise."

Garp nodded back at her. "Thank you," he exclaimed. Then, clearing his throat, Garp turned back to his son. "Was that all that he said? No threats - just a challenge? I'll definitely meet that dirty old bastard. Why is he putting it off so long?" This time, he failed to smile when he talked about the prospect of battling his arch nemesis. While this may have been a trap, he trusted the pirate's integrity too much for that to happen. Frowning, he contemplated the conditions for such an arrangement. "Okay, thanks, that's enough."

Although Renji would have liked to hear more stories about Garp's adventures, he noticed something off about the mood in the room. Standing up, he looked around to see that Dragon had already left and Silk had already saluted a farewell. Meandering over to the doorway, the Tenki glanced over his shoulder when the Vice Admiral cleared his throat. "Garp?"

"You seem a lot happier, Renji. I'm glad you became friends with my son. You two will do amazing things for the future," complimented Garp.

Elated, Renji saluted, "Yes, sir! I want to do a lot!" Upon closer inspection, he realized that a bubble protruded from the old man's nose. Awkwardly, he forced a smile and closed the door on his way out.

* * *

"Dragon, wait up!" he shouted although he knew Dragon had already reached the mess hall by then. Pacing, he entered the cafeteria as well and immediately darted to the middle of the line. "Oi, I'm gonna take this food, okay?" He referred to the pot of soup. Sure, it was hot, but he could stand the heat for a satisfying amount of food.

Others protested and threatened to beat him.

When Renji grabbed an entire pot of meaty soup, he took a seat next to Dragon and Silk. Without speaking, he poured the hot soup into his mouth. "I'm so hungry," he complained.

Silk had learned to turn around when she sat next to her friends for food. Too bad Bellemere left, or else she would sit next to her. Slumping over in her seat, she spooned salad into her pouting mouth. Then, she grabbed her glass of water and accidentally noticed the guys scarfing down their meal. She would be happy if she never had another bite of meat for the rest of her life.

Suddenly, a frigid beam struck the glass Silk held. The contents froze in place and chilled her hand.

Kuzan hunched over the gang as he stood at the head of the table. Renji and Dragon stopped eating for a moment and stared up at the Captain. Adjusting his round sunglasses, he pointed at his mentor's son. "Brat," he began and then pointed at the messy orangehead. "Dumbass." Then, he pointed at the busty young woman. "Sexy." Scratching his beanie covered afro, he yawned, "You guys got promoted. Tomorrow's the ceremony."

Renji and Silk jumped up to celebrate. "Yay!" they cheered.

Dragon continued eating. The Marines were a joke. Nepotism got him too far too fast. Lost in his thoughts, he jumped when he caught Kuzan staring at him. "What?" growled Monkey.

"Nothing," smirked Kuzan. Did Dragon truly lack motivation or willpower? After all, he was the son of the great Monkey D. Garp. He probably had the physical prowess to surpass Silk, but the brat refused to give a damn about anything around him. "I hear you two have been giving Sakazuki a hard time."

Renji stopped to gulp. Then, he sat down to stuff his face.

Of course, Dragon did not interrupt his meal to converse with Kuzan.

Ruffling the young men's heads of hair, Kuzan laughed, "Good. Anybody that stands up to that asshole is alright in my book. Never kiss his ass. It won't work, and he doesn't deserve it anyway. Also, don't try to take him on in a fight. You'll die." When he gave the last tidbit of advice, he made eye contact with Dragon, for he figured that he would be the most likely to go to those lengths.

Although Silk could comprehend what Kuzan was talking about, she hardly experienced the choleric side of Sakazuki that everyone mentioned. She knew that he looked down on Renji and Dragon, but he would never kill them unless they were trying to kill him.

Promotions, already? "We're gonna be the three Admirals one day!" declared Renji. "I'm gonna get some more food." He jumped from his seat to head to the line of the cafeteria. The Tenki noticed that Dragon didn't seem content with his declaration, and he wondered why.

If Kuzan were not as cool as he was, he would have had hearts in his eyes when he looked at Silk. "You look hot when you're happy, too," he commented.

Blushing, she covered her face. A Marine Lieutenant complimented her!

Dragon stood up and slammed his fork to the table. Without saying anything else, he left to the line for food just a Renji did. Whenever he saw Silk in those sorts of situations, he would have a knee-jerk reaction of anger and annoyance. Whatever that was, he needed to hide it before other people got the wrong idea. He couldn't control her, and that's what he liked about her. They somehow became friends.

Renji met Dragon in line. Turning around, he had chopsticks sticking out from his nose.

The typically reserved man burst out into laughter.

* * *

"Monkey, why don't you like being in the Marines?" Renji asked Dragon late one night. He noticed that his friend never expressed any idols or goals for his adventures in the military. In fact, he didn't even try to move up in the ranks. What did he want to do?

Pausing, Dragon knew that he accepted Renji as his friend. He only hesitated to consider how his true feelings may affect their relationship. "They're dogs to the World Government. The World Government has killed lots of innocent people thanks to the Marines, so how can I do their bidding? I can't just kill people because they don't benefit the people at the top."

Was that true? Looking out to the full moon, Renji said, "But we can make it better. If we get to the top, we can do more stuff to help people. Plus, the Marines are totally different." He grinned and tightened his fist as he thought about his future as a Marine although he realized that maybe Dragon didn't want to be a Marine anymore. His smile dropped.

"You have to kill people to get to the top. Somebody has to die. I don't know what they're doing exactly, but I think they work together to control history and the future. Everything we know might be a lie. The World Government has to be invisible. The Marines have to look good. Pirates, rebels, and anybody who challenges the ways of the government have to die, Renji. That's the way things work," Dragon explained in a rant.

Maybe the rebel could improve his communication skills one day, but at that point, he sounded like a rambling mad man.

Renji scratched his head. "The Marines are good, though. They save people."

"They also kill innocent people, and they allow certain people to be killed! How many times do I have to say that?" grunted Dragon. Maybe this conversation was a lost cause.

"Don't say that! That's not true," protested Renji. Why was Dragon saying these stupid things? His heart raced, and his face grew hot.

Without much else, Dragon finally confessed, "I'm never gonna be a Admiral. I don't even know if I'm gonna stay here for another year. I'm just here so that I can find out who my enemies are." He could sense the sudden contempt in the atmosphere.

"No! I'm gonna convince you that we're doing the right thing. I'm gonna convince you to stay. We're friends, Dragon, and if you leave, then we're gonna have to fight each other forever!" He then understood that they would have to come to blows at some point. Sometimes, fighting solidified a friendship, and sometimes, it convinced people to stay.

Back when Renji played in the forest, he had to battle animals before he befriended them.

"I've got people to save. If you want to fight, then let's go to the battlegrounds at the front," said Dragon after he had pushed Renji off of him.

Renji smirked, "Yeah, sure, let's do that. Tomorrow! Because I'm sleepy."

"Yeah, yeah," Dragon sighed and closed his eyes.

The next morning would be their promotion ceremony, so the situation worked out good enough for them.

* * *

As dawn broke through the sky, Renji dragged his massive battle-ax across the sandy ground several kilometers to the battlefield. He had not forgotten that Dragon intended on leaving if he lost the fight, so he had to win against him. From quite a distance away, Renji yelled, "I'm gonna beat your ass, Monkey!"

Dragon's brow twitched. How were they supposed to fight if Renji could hardly carry his weapon? Was he trying to show off? Dragon wielded a light, metal staff that typically complemented his swift fighting style. He speculated that his greatest advantage would suffice if he could end the battle as soon as possible.

The crisp morning air blew and sparked a bit of energy within the two men. The guys weren't morning people, and neither of them had eaten a good meal that day. The mess hall had yet to open.

Renji had a particular method of fighting, but why would he reveal such a plan? If he failed to win the fight, then he could lose Dragon forever, so he took his stance across the field from and dropped his ax with a thud. Bending over, he caught his breath. "Okay," panted Renji. "Dragon! I'm not gonna lose."

Sweat rolled down Dragon's temple. "Yeah," he muttered - not because he believed him, but the entire ordeal of watching his opponent struggle to carry their weapon puzzled him. "Are you gonna try to kill me?" While he did not admit that death would be possible in their battle, the edge of Renji's ax looked sharp enough to kill.

"I don't know yet," Renji smirked and wiped his sweaty brow. Once he regained his fighting posture, he yanked his weapon from the floor and began to spin it on his right side. Since the fight would start soon, he could expel more energy. Tracing the currents of the wind that day, he swung the blade forward and allowed the momentum to carry him towards his opponent.

"You're running already?" asked Dragon - unphased by whatever gusto Renji had behind him. As he suspected, wielding the ax wasn't as difficult as he made it seem.

Coincidentally, Renji misheard that question. He assumed that his friend asked if he were ready, so he answered, "Yeah!"

Looking into the orange-haired man's furious, red eyes, Dragon realized that he underestimated the severity of their impending fight. With no time to lose, he offensively prepared to clash by twirling his staff behind him.

As Renji sliced the empty air to the right, Dragon dodged to the left just like his observation Haki predicted. The Tenki used the leverage of his lodged ax to jump and kick Dragon in the side. "Gust Kick!" he announced after the successful blow.

Dragon caught himself with his staff before he fell. Jumping, he recovered a few feet away. Thinking to himself, he said, "What a lame attack name." He had a difficult time treating Renji as a dangerous opponent. "Um," stammered Dragon - he hadn't titled his offensive moves since he was a kid. "Ox marks the strike!" Dragon slammed his Haki-coated staff onto Renji's back.

Although Renji somewhat blocked the offensive move with his Haki, he jumped back with his ax to avoid whatever attack would come after that. "That's the worst name for an attack that I've ever heard!" he shouted as he bent over with laughter.

Flustered, Dragon retorted, "Names are stupid anyway." However, he wondered if Renji's sudden shift in attitude meant that they could still be friends after their fight concluded.

Time was of the essence, and when he realized that Renji's ax disappeared, he raised his guard by scanning the horizon. The laughter was a distraction.

The massive ax flew around the field and back between the two men. Launching himself with a running jump, Renji lunged at his own weapon to push the flat side forward into his enemy.

"I'll be faithful to the Marines forever, Dragon, so I'm not gonna let you leave until you knock me out." If he didn't win this fight, then he had no chance of keeping Dragon by his side. They were supposed to be the three admirals one day, so he had to win at all costs - even if that meant shedding a bit of blood. They could handle the pain.

However, once Renji slammed Dragon into the metal fence behind them, he realized that he managed to slice Dragon's arms. He cringed with wide eyes - a tightness in his chest wrung his heart like a damp cloth. Did his friend resent the idea of staying?

Dragon forcibly punched Renji back to the ground with his free hand. "That hurt!" he yelled and swept the ground with his staff. They weren't playing. If he wanted to be macho and intense, then Dragon would need to reflect that volition.

* * *

At least an hour passed as Renji and Dragon continued to battle. Blood stained their white Marine uniforms. Bruises spotted their bodies. Sweat coated every part of their skin. However, Renji was the one who could no longer stand. He had given up the fight not long after they began.

The only reason he fought for as long as he did was to respect their promise of an actual battle, so he finally got to his feet. "Dragon, you're my Nakama," he said as his bright orange hair hung over his eyes. "You'll stay if I win, right? Then, I'll get a chance to show you how good the Marines are."

With a pause, Dragon kept his mouth tightly sealed. Nakama? He was hardly familiar with that term. He never had friends, so Nakama must have meant something stronger than a mere friendship. Flattered, he smiled, "You know the answer to that, Renji. I never said I would give up liberating the world."

"If you're a man, then keep your promise and stay in the Marines," Renji shouted before he lunged at Dragon to land a clean hit on the side of his face. "We haven't done bad stuff. Are you really gonna make a decision based other stuff? We can be different."

During their brawl, Dragon came across the revelation that he had a request as well. "Come with me. That's what I want. If I win, I want you to join me in the revolution," he said as he stretched out his hand.

Renji looked up with open eyes and jumped at the sight of Dragon's open palm. The Tenki knew that he had already lost the fight against Dragon, so if he accepted this sudden condition, then he would accept the invitation by default. What compelled him to do so? If his loyalty to the Marines was unyielding, why did he feel a rivaling pull to Dragon's path?

" _ **Renji and Dragon, come to me,**_

 _ **Cross the edge of land and sea,**_

 _ **Open hearts and open hands,**_

 ** _Walk along the golden sands,_**

 _ **Skies and oceans of our Blue,**_

 _ **All my wishes will come true,**_ " a beautiful voice sang from a high place quite a distance away.

Suddenly, Silk appeared before Renji and Dragon - or, rather, they appeared in front of Silk.

"What?" they exclaimed as they looked at where they stood. "What?" Somehow they ended up on top of the fort with no recollection of walking there.

The blond haired woman punched them both on their heads. "What are you guys fighting over? You look half dead, and you didn't even show up to your promotion ceremony. The Vice Admirals commended me on my leadership skills, but do you know how stupid I looked when they guys that I supposedly led weren't even there?" Silk lectured in one drawn-out breath.

Renji whined, "We were just finishing up, Silk. I always fall asleep at those boring ceremonies anyway."

"Oi," Dragon growled. "How did we get here? What did you do?" He may as well have teleported to her because he could not remember a single moment between fighting Renji and standing where he was. Then, he recalled an enchanting voice. "I heard some cheesy music."

"Me, too!" noted Renji with a grin.

Blushing and furrowing her eyebrows, Silk crossed her arms. "Yeah," she began, "that was me - singing. The lyrics hardly matter, and you probably can't remember them anyway."

Dragon smirked, "Oh, okay, that's why it had bad lyrics."

"Your voice can do spells?" asked Renji as he wiggled his fingers to imitate magic. "Is that a Devil Fruit power?"

"No," she sighed. They had known each other long enough so that she could reveal her secrets. While she had yet to trust Dragon fully, she assumed that he had no reason to blab out anything she told him. "Okay, here's how it works: I can lure people with my voice, and if I say their names at the beginning, only they can hear me. Oh, and, um, if they know about my ability, then they can have an easier time resisting me. Otherwise, they'll come towards me and not even know what happened."

"That's so cool, so you are a witch!" Renji cheered.

With a chuckle, Dragon corrected him. "That sounds like a Siren," he noted, but then, he remembered that the legend of the Sirens had a connection to something he resented. "Wait, are you a Celestial Dragon?" Tightening his fist, he understood why Sakazuki must have been easier on her. (Of course, the Commander had other reasons.)

"I'm part Celestial Dragon," she admitted. "But, I don't like people knowing that. What does my bloodline have to do with what I believe? I think the world would be a better place without those spoiled, bourgeoise pansies. I'd risk my position to punch them in the face." Her face heated up as her blood boiled. The thought of seeing one of them again angered her to no ends.

"Oi, Monkey," Renji waved at the man standing next to him. "Are you okay?"

Dragon's face felt like it was on fire. He gripped his shirt when heard a repeating thud that shook his whole body. Panting, he barked, "No! I'm fine, Renji!"

Approaching the battered and beaten man, Silk placed her hand on Dragon's forehead to check for a fever. "I'm taking you two to the infirmary. You'll need to make up a lie, or else you guys will be written up for fighting each other," she announced. Linking her arms with both Dragon's and Renji's, she sighed. "Alright, let's go. We can pick up your badges when you're done."

"You're making me feel sick, Silk," Dragon finally decided out loud. The thudding only got worse when she touched him, and his foolish father's insistence that he had fallen in love didn't help. Dragon's declaration didn't seem to affect her since she began to hum the same melody that she sang earlier.

Renji whispered over Silk's head, "Hey, when are you gonna leave?"

Dragon hesitated and stammered, "Um." Sometimes, he felt complacent being next to his friends. Maybe, he could have fun with them. As long as he didn't violate his values, he would be able to stay with his newfound Nakama. "Maybe tomorrow. Maybe a year from now. I don't know."

Lowering her head, of course, Silk heard the taller men's conversation. "Leaving?" she thought to herself, "What does he mean by that?" Something nauseated her stomach when she thought of her trio of friends splitting up. Hopefully, she could pretend that she didn't hear anything. "We're gonna be the Three Admirals one day, right?"

Only Renji replied, "Yup!"

* * *

 **A/N: Fanfiction lost a third of this chapter, so I had to rewrite that portion. Originally, this was just gonna be 3k words, too, so I thought I was catching a break. =[** **I'm bad at writing fight scenes, so don't come to this story with the preconceived notion that it will be action packed.**

 **Oh, and ages of the main characters:**

 **Sergent Silk(20)**

 **Corporal Dragon(19)**

 **Corporal Renji(19)**

 **Who do you want to see more of?**

 ** _Johnny Spectre!_ Sorry, I haven't replied to your review yet - I had definitely planned on portraying Luffy's mom as a Celestial Dragon. I still wanted to shout out to you for guessing the incorporation of that theory. Hopefully, that doesn't spoil anything for you, and I promise that I'm not just saying that. lol**


	5. Silk

**A/N: I keep trying to write the first arc's climax, but then, I want to give each main character an arc.**

 **This story was going to be three chapters long...  
**

 **Image: From the official OVA design and belongs to Oda. Please don't judge me, but that's what Silk looks like.**

* * *

 **Silk**

Silk did not understand why Dragon and Renji regularly fought each other over the past few weeks at the Marine Headquarters. They insisted that they were merely sparring so that she would leave them to their own devices. Perhaps, they would have allowed her to join, but she realized that she had fallen behind in her physical training. The two guys put on several kilos of muscle, but they still looked like lanky teenagers to her. Neither of them had reached the bulk and brawn of Kuzan for instance.

The Military seemed to want her to pursue intelligence and espionage rather than front line combat. While Silk agreed that she was a suitable candidate for such areas, she wanted to prove her strength to someone.

Outside of her leader's office, Silk gulped down her hesitation before she knocked. She had not decided how to ask him to mentor her. After all, Kuzan and Garp stepped in to spar with the guys at some point or another. No one gawked at her potential.

"Sakazuki-san," Silk called through the heavy, wooden door before requesting to enter. When he accepted, she took a seat across from him at his desk.

The Marine officer could hardly make eye contact with the young woman. She had been a diversion for him for a while. "Yes?" he answered.

Silk scratched the back of her head and stuck her tongue out. Her heart raced, for she knew that he would reject her. "You're my mentor, and you're familiar with the sword as well." Quickly, she had to make her pitch, but her mind went blank. "I want to spar with you."

"You are polite and respectful, and I trust you. However, I don't want to injure one of my recruits," he responded as he clenched his pen. Well, that was not entirely true - he would have probably punched Dragon and Renji a few times if given the opportunity.

Clenching her fists in her lap, Silk pouted even though she knew that could count against her in that particular situation. At that point, such mannerisms had become habitual in her diplomacy. "Although I don't have Haki, I can hold my own against you," she protested.

As Sakazuki tilted the bill of his hat to shield his eyes from Silk's blinding charm, he grimaced, "I know, but with this Devil Fruit, I have difficulty controlling my powers. Damage from magma is irreversible. My fighting style is too quick to control in a friendly sparring match with you." On top of his truthful reasoning, he needed to come up with some kind of excuse so that he did not have to be alone with her, or else, he may say something unprofessional.

Earlier that week, Kuzan teased that they could freely pursue fellow Marines. That broken record played in his mind at that moment. Transferring Silk would be less professional than courting her, but Sakazuki could not bring himself to choose either option. Plus, he would not trust anyone else with watching over her. Courting was nearly out of the question - he needed to focus on his goals of Absolute Justice rather than personal relationships.

Silk wanted to unleash her fury on Sakazuki by punching him where he sat. Against Dragon or Renji, she would have done that, but instead, she could only smile. "It's okay, sir. I respect your decision. Thank you. I'll find another way to get stronger," she forced through her clenched teeth. Why did he not respect her strength? He would have fought Dragon and Renji at the drop of a hat.

She stood up to walk out the door.

"We should have lunch again, Silk," said Sakazuki under his breath.

She agreed with a forced smile, "Yes, sir."

Silk stormed out of the office after she carefully shut the door behind her. Her face must have been red, but that hardly mattered since her mentor wouldn't even look her in the eye. After several broad paces to the barracks, she collided with a swarthy, shirtless man. "Sorry," she apologized in the sweetest voice possible.

Dragon glared down at her, but he kept walking without a response. Did Silk apologize to _him_?

"Of all people," Silk began - her voice shivered. "Of all people, I thought you would pay attention to me, Dragon."

Bewildered, Dragon turned around to silently make eye contact. He scratched his temple. "What do you want? I'm just gonna take a bath," he explained even though he didn't need to know that. "And you can't follow me there, so I don't know what you want me to say."

Tears built up in Silk's big brown eyes. She wanted to become stronger, but how could she if no one would see her as a true Marine? She demanded, "Treat me like a competent fighter!"

Dragon groaned. Why did he turn around to look at Silk? She looked pathetic with her watery eyes. There was no reason to cry over something like that. Walking up to her, he placed his hand on her head. "If you want to look powerful, then you need to stop crying."

At first, Silk noted how a typically condescending pat on the head felt comforting. "Strong people cry, too!"

"Grab some food for me."

* * *

Because of the rainy weather, Silk and Dragon sat in an unmanned remote lookout. That particular area had a stone roof. Hopefully, it was large enough for them to fight.

"What? You tried to fight Sakazuki! Me and Renji can't even do that yet! Plus, you're clumsy, so you'd lose." Dragon scarfed down the rest of the food that Silk got for him from the cafeteria. He could have eaten more, but that could wait.

Silk had sat a distance away, for she knew that food would fly everywhere if she sat any closer to Dragon. Once he finished, she scooted next to him as she sat on her knees. "Clumsy?" she complained.

Dragon smirked, "Yeah, that time in that one town where I cornered that bandit - the one that robbed that family. Renji was gonna jump down from a rooftop, but you came into the alleyway and tripped over your feet, so the guy ran away. Then, you got into a sword fight with some pirate, and he scared you, so I had to jump in and knock him out before he killed you." He clenched his fist as he nearly boasted. Over the course of the last few months, they all pulled off quite a few good deeds on their adventures.

"Okay, okay," Silk laughed. "But, I'd be better if I weren't around you guys. I don't want you to go too far and mess up your record."

Grabbing his staff, Dragon closed his eyes. "Are you gonna use that wooden sword?" He got to his feet.

"Yeah, we can't use our real weapons in sparring matches," she repeated. Once she grabbed her weapon, she stood up as well and got into position.

"Nobody follows that rule - not even the officers," laughed Dragon. He assumed his fighting stance by holding his staff behind his head. "I'll fight you, and if I kill you, it's your fault."

Silk smiled with a giant grin and rosy cheeks. She felt light-hearted after that statement. Dragon was far from a monster. She misjudged his intimidatingly dark disposition. She and he had come a long way since the moment they met where she feared his diabolical grin, dark glower, and chillingly low voice. He wasn't evil, and he certainly wasn't ugly like various women concluded.

In fact, the same long, hard face and massive build that once caused her to cower somehow caused a different tension in her trembling limbs, but she wasn't sure what. She had never felt such tension with anyone else.

Dragon pointed at her rigid elbows with his staff. "I don't know swords that well, but your posture looks weird. It's too stiff. You need to relax," he advised before pointing at her hips. "That part of your body looks like you're carrying a bunch of rocks on your back. I don't know how anybody can fight like that." The sick feeling he had the other day began to stir in his gut once again.

The criticism from someone lower rank than her hurt her pride a little - she wasn't looking for advice! Her eyebrow twitched, and a drop of sweat slid down her temple. Swaying her hips and relaxing her legs, she tried to avoid Dragon's face. "Like this?" she asked. Maybe he shouldn't have said that he could kill her, or maybe she couldn't relax because for the first time she considered the attractiveness of her opponent.

"I don't know. You still look weird. Your face looks like you're about to throw up," Dragon noted as he felt like he would puke, too.

Her head ached. She scoffed, "You don't look much better." Once Silk realized her admiration for Dragon, she tried to prevent her mind from going further. "Okay, I'm ready to fight."

How amusing. Once Dragon taunted her, she definitely loosened up her posture. "Okay," agreed the rebel before they jumped into their fight. Almost immediately, he realized that she had not reached his level. He wondered if he should fake weakness so that they appeared to be on equal footing, but he respected her too much to lie through his actions. Perhaps, he could fight defensively.

"Don't hold back!" Silk commanded although she could hardly keep up with his defensive tactics until then. Why did she want to foolishly challenge him?

* * *

 **2 Years Ago**

Silk always knew that typically being cute got her what she wanted. Her fellow villagers would give her free food and candy and even a place to live. However, even her adorable smile and charming pout weren't enough to get people to tell her the truth about how they found her.

At first, they told her a stork had brought her there. Then, they told her that she floated there in a basket. She began asking who her parents were when she turned 10. When various people gasped and averted the situation, she realized that maybe she should no longer ask. Maybe her parents were too horrible to mention.

Everyone loved her. Most of the villagers were decades older than her, for the younger people lost their lives in brief battle when she was a baby. They gave her shelter and food and all the affection they could share, and they treated her like a fragile princess. Silk knew they could only do that if they denied her origins.

When she turned 14, she realized that people shushed the mention of pirates or celestial dragons. Sure, they spoke of bandits in casual conversation, but Celestial Dragons and Pirates were unspeakably horrid in her world. For Silk, to have an entire aspect of the world hid away from her caused her to grow paranoid that if she descended from these horrid people, they must have harbored some contempt for her.

Two years ago, when she turned 18, she confronted her mentor - the local schoolteacher, Gingham that played the biggest role in raising her.

The elderly man patted her head like she was still a child and sighed, "Silk-chan, you've been a patient girl for such a long time."

"Is it okay if I feel like I want to know more? You all have been amazing, but I don't like secrets," Silk frowned in her plain, white blouse and green checkered skirt. Beneath her frown, stewed rage that she had yet to have a chance to unleash. How could she yell at people that only smiled and complimented her?

Carefully, Gingham grabbed a key to open a drawer. He asked, "Of all my years, you've been my most ambitious student, so I know you must have been suspicious of us. No matter what is in that letter, know that we have always cared about you."

Silk cried, for after all those years, she could finally have a chance to know the truth, but as her fingers traced edge of the sealed envelope, she feared its contents. The letter specifically instructed to not allow Silk to read it until she turned 18. "Thank you," she began before pulling out the letter.

" _Dear Daughter,_

 _Currently, I am on the ship of your father. When I was younger, I played in the lakes of Mariejois. While they had a floor, the floor was thin and so, people of the Earth could look up and see me. I could see them as well. I played alone because other branches of our family harbored resentment towards our branch - the Sirens._

 _Against the advice of my elders, I would quietly sing at those lakes, and one day, I lured a pirate ship. The captain jumped from the sea and pulled me down to be with him._

 _Of course, after that moment, I knew I could never return to my homeland, and I knew by your father's volatile nature that I could no longer look forward to a quality life. I attempted to contact Mariejois, but to no avail, they told me to never return. The common land had tainted me beyond forgiveness._

 _Weeks later, I found out that I was with child - with you, and immediately, I wanted to find a better life for you. The only occasions that your father's ship docked, he would raid pillage islands and villages. Unfortunately, those were the only opportunities I had to find you a better environment._

 _By the time you read this letter, your father may still be alive, but hopefully, I will not be. To protect you, I will not disclose the identity of your father so that you do not seek him._

 _Please forgive me,_

 _Your mother."_

Gingham offered a soothing hand to her shoulder as he watched tears fall from his student's eyes. "We still love you," he assured her.

"Teach me everything you know about the Celestial Dragons. Please," Silk pleaded as she dropped the tear-stained letter. Running to the library in the back of the room, she desperately tried to pull down books.

With a sigh, Gingham followed her. "They are hated yet feared by commoners," he said.

What could she do to right the wrongs of her heritage? She could give her life to world by becoming a Marine! She could live for the world to protect and facilitate the people around her. That would be the zenith of a moral member of society in her mind. For the Celestial Dragons, all she could do was follow her own moral compass.

So then, she hitchhiked on the next Marine ship that passed the island.

* * *

 **Present Day.**

Silk explained everything about her life. When Dragon didn't respond, she continued, "Instead of forgiving them, I held a grudge until the day I left."

Dragon thought highly of Silk. He came to that conclusion a while ago, and he thought she sounded badass when she denounced her lineage. Of course, he would never admit that. With a swipe of his staff, he knocked her sword away. Immediately, he regretted risking an injury for her.

"I thought I was just unwanted, but my mother left me there to save me." As she fought, her style became more unpredictable with each strike. She continued, "The people from my town - they all accepted me despite my pirate father and Celestial mother. I love my town, but I could feel the secrets and I just wanted the truth."

Struggling to guard, Dragon put up his best defense. And still, her emotional disposition distracted him. With a small grin, Dragon's curiosity grew. "The truth?" he noted. Essentially, that's what he sought as well.

Silk couldn't seem to break through Dragon's defense. Her frustration brewed and boiled up to her reddening face. "I'm tired of everyone lying and smiling. Everybody wants to protect me, but they don't know that I can handle a lot. I just can't handle people covering stuff up so that I don't get hurt."

Sparkling tears that caught light despite the overcast skies scattered into the air. Dragon watched as they didn't stop. His grip on his staff loosened, Silk landed a swift blow to his face. He fell to the ground. If he could have thought about anything other than Silk crying in that moment, he probably would have experienced more pain. Why did seeing her cry suddenly affect him? She cried all that time, but that moment was different. He wanted to protect her and end her anguish.

"I-I'm sorry! I know we aren't supposed to hit above the neck in sparring matches," Silk apologized as she knelt down beside him. She tried to touch the injured area, but Dragon grabbed her wrist. She gasped, "Dragon!"

With a scowl, he explained, "No one is ever going to give you the truth, Silk. You need to demand it. You're strong enough right now. Just don't let anybody treat you like some princess in a story." Dragon hoped that would make her stop crying. However, she cried more into his chest. "Oi! I'm saying you can find out what you want to find out without asking people for it."

In a whisper, Silk replied, "You always tell me everything that I want to hear. Why are you the only one that treats me like an equal?" Her watery, puffy eyes beamed up at her former opponent.

Dragon stammered, "I don't know." He scratched his head until Silk moved her face close to his! What was she doing? Their faces were touching, and he couldn't say anything else even if he wanted. He squirmed beneath her. His entire body became slightly sweaty from the fighting, but his hands were suddenly dripping wet.

Silk never kissed anyone, but she knew of the concept. Once their lips met, she felt like she had made the best decision she had all day. Was this brash yet naive man the one for her? In that moment, she could no longer deny her feelings for him, and her heart raced with excitement. When she finished, she frowned when he wiped his mouth. "Sorry."

Ragingly confused, Dragon growled, "What was that?" Then, he recalled the concept of a kiss. His face reddened past the point that it did before. Did that mean that she liked him?

"I kissed you," she murmured, shamefully concentrating on the stone floor.

Little could hold Monkey D. Dragon in that moment. He enjoyed that sensation. Could he have a light like her in his life? He sat up against the corner and clenched his teeth. This woman would distract him forever. He carefully pulled her tiny waist towards him and followed his desires by kissing her just as passionately as she did. Her petite body fell limp in his arms. Even if it wasn't okay for him to take such a detour, he still wanted her near him in that way.

If they ever felt an enjoyable electrical current run through their bodies before, that was it.

A familiar, chipper voice erupted from atop the edge of the stone wall. "No way!" cried Renji. Tears waterfalled from his eyes. "I thought you said you were gonna take a bath." He carried a giant piece of meat with him.

Silk shoved Dragon to the other side of the fort. "Nothing happened!" she exclaimed before covering her face. Hopefully, he didn't see what they did.

"Why would you hit him after you kissed him, Silk?"

So, he did see. Silk's face glowed red, and she could hardly breathe. "I - what? Nothing happened!" she repeated.

Dragon's chest heaved. He hardly understood anything that just happened. Maybe she sang a song. He got up and snatched the meat from Renji. Everybody knew what kissing was. His impulsivity led him to admit, "Yeah, I kissed her." There was no spell - he kissed her by his willpower.

Somehow that kiss satisfied him and cured his intense nausea.

Renji leaned on Dragon's back and grabbed his shoulders. "You're gonna leave me and go out on dates all the time, aren't you? Then I'm gonna be all alone," he explained.

"Who said that will happen? Get those thoughts out of your head, Renji!" demanded Silk.

"Is that how this usually goes?" asked Dragon with a smirk. "We're still gonna be friends, Renji. I don't like dry fruit like dates anyway."

Silk couldn't believe it! Dragon wouldn't even challenge what Renji said. "Dragon hates me!" she declared as she pointed to him with a shaking arm.

Renji sighed, "He already said that he likes you. Remember? I don't know why you're freaking out."

Begrudgingly, Dragon confirmed through his teeth, "Hate? If I hated you, I wouldn't be around you." Turning to Renji, he had to ask, "Is this barbecue? I don't think I had this earlier."

Renji nodded, "Yeah, they brought it out after they ran out of the garlic. You could have had it if you came back."

"Jeez, I was busy with Silk. I'll go back with you if they still have some," Dragon sighed. He started walking in the direction of the cafeteria with his hands tucked into his pockets.

In the distant background, Silk's knees buckled as she watched her friends leave. What did that mean? Maybe she should avoid Dragon in order to clear her head, but somehow, she knew that wouldn't work.

* * *

Silk studied in the library for most of the next day. She had hardly seen Dragon since they kissed, and she preferred that. Although she worried if she ruined their friendship, maybe that was for the best, too. Whenever she thought of him, she couldn't control her emotions. And when they would see each other, she could hardly remember to breathe.

Then there was that sinking suspicion that Dragon would leave at any point in time. That was one truth that she feared uncovering. The thought made her stomach sicker than ever before, so maybe if she told him how she felt, then he'd stay. How did she feel? She still couldn't say the word love in her mind.

As she left the building and crossed a courtyard, Renji confronted her. "Yo," he waved. "You need to talk to Dragon! He told me not to tell you this, but he says he's in love with you!"

"What? Love? He just said we're friends before," protested Silk. "I'm not gonna believe that!"

Renji turned around, for he couldn't hide his grin. Maybe he embellished a little. Then, he would tell Dragon the same thing. He saw this play out in a play for Children at some point or another. Grabbing Silk's hand, he led her to an abandoned utility closet.

Silk suspected an innocent lie, but she followed Renji anyway. When walked inside abandoned shed, she finally spoke up. "He's not in here, Renji!" she yelled.

"What are you doing, huh?" asked Dragon. He gripped Renji by the collar. "Why did you take Silk?"

With a chuckle, Renji laughed, "Ann told me that you and Silk fell in love, so I'm okay if that happens. I want you to be happy! So then, you need to tell her, Dragon." He figured that Dragon would get jealous if he saw him holding Silk's hand and leading her to an empty closet. "Silk, you need to tell him!" he said to the young blond behind him. Then, he judo flipped Dragon into the closet with her and sealed the door by force.

"Renji!" growled Dragon as he pounded on the door. He did not need this diversion. As he hung around Silk, he became complacent with staying in the Marines. If he wanted to successfully rebel, he could not grow soft. That happy, peaceful life could not exist for him, but at the mention of love with Silk, he wanted to have her near him.

Silk sat on an old barrel in the corner. She crossed her legs and sighed, "Do you not want to talk to me? Now, it seems like you're afraid of me."

Narrowing his eyes, the revolutionary glanced over his shoulders. "Afraid? Don't be stupid."

"What? It's true. Admit that you've been avoiding me. You don't seem like the type of guy that indulges in this dramatic kind of venture, but I thought you'd at least be blunt,  
she frowned and crossed her arms.

Turning around, Dragon scowled, "What are you talking about? I don't have time for this! I've been trying to get stronger." If he said anything rash, then she could get hurt when he left.

"You can't even look at me right now, Dragon," she noted. Then, she furrowed her eyebrows. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

Why did he turn around? He cursed himself for being able to catch sight of her wet, pathetic pout. Approaching the whimpering woman, he grabbed her wrist and pressed her hand against his heart. With a sly grin, he peered down at her. "See? You're making me sick. Now, stop making me say and do stupid things like this." Then, he remembered the notes he had of people that he encountered, so he handed it opened to the page about her.

Reading the page full of scribbles, she said, "Silk; 20 years old; short, strong, and stubborn; Witch? Sings spells; Makes me feel like I'm on fire; respectable; distracting; delicate yet sturdy. Light." What did light mean?

Dragon continued, "I'm pissed because I can't think of anything but you. If that's what love is, then I love you. Okay? Now, I need to get out of here and kick Renji's ass."

Pleased, Silk's heart felt full, and she flashed a delighted smile, yet her tears finally fell from her eyes. She nodded, "I love you, too, Dragon." Then, she wrapped her small arms around him to pull Dragon into an embrace.

Puzzled by her tears, Dragon contently smiled as well until reality inevitably hit. "There's something I have to tell you," he forcefully admitted. Of course, he could not keep that other secret from her even if it meant that she would lose interest in him. "I joined the Marines because I want to defect and revolutionize the world by defeating world powers."

"What?" shouted Silk. She held her hands over her mouth and backed away from the man she admitted to loving. "Why did you have to tell me that?" She punched him in the gut.

With a scowl, Dragon growled, "You wanted me to be honest." He recovered from the ground and said, "Follow your dreams, Silk. Don't change your course because of me." He fully expected her to leave after his confession.

"If you know some secret about the Marines, then tell me everything," Silk declared with a frown. "I don't think I can stop loving you just because you're an evil conspiracy theorist, but I'm not going to abandon my values for you." Her heart beat rapidly. Dragon had been the most honest with her since the beginning. Her thoughts caught up to her as she contemplated their scandal.

Dragon's brow twitched. "Evil? Conspiracy theorist?"

Silk pushed him back onto a barrel and took a seat on his lap. She smirked, "Tell me everything, Dragon." Maybe espionage would be her _forte_.

* * *

 **A/N: I've been having technical difficulties, so I reuploaded this chapter because on the main fanfic page, I couldn't see that it was updated.**


End file.
